About

Julia Drake-Schwalm is a painter practicing in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia. Drake-Schwalm holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in Graphic Design and a Bachelor of Foreign Languages and Literature with a concentration in French from Old Dominion University. Her work has been exhibited in juried shows including: Adobe Design Achievement Awards, D’Art Center’s Annual Juried Exhibition of Portraiture and Innovation Center for Design Excellence. Drake-Schwalm has received several awards, including Emerging Designer Award at the AIGA Hampton Roads SPARK Poster Exhibition. Drake-Schwalm currently practices in Hampton Roads and hopes to continue showing her work on a national scale.

Artist Statement

I have always been fascinated by the origins of myths and how they affect society, specifically in how they have affected gender roles today. There are so many stories that have survived millennia; I ponder the different perspectives of each character and how they might perceive the narrative in which they belong. Why is this woman being portrayed in this way? Who is writing these stories and who benefits from the overall messaging?

Through my paintings, I offer a unique viewpoint giving the audience an opportunity to consider these questions. It is important that the paintings distance themselves from reality; bright colors are painted on black grounds to create surreal imagery for a dreamlike effect. The figures used are predominantly depicted in grey to suggest stone or concrete, a reminder that the scenes are steadfast as they pass through time. As women we are not bound to the history books and what they have taught us. It is easy to forget that stories are just that, stories – although stone can be formidable, it is not impenetrable.