Today we’d like to introduce you to Jen Bednarski & Dan Asfour.
Hi Jen & Dan, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, let’s briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
Dan and I met online through a Facebook group dedicated to weekly art challenges. We both had been working as independent artists at the time. Recognizing that we shared many common interests, we started working collaboratively by mailing paintings and drawings back and forth. One person would start a piece; the other would finish it. Eventually, Dan moved to Minnesota. We shared a studio, allowing us to expand our shared creative energies and produce 3D assemblage pieces.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
We’ve just begun exploring what’s possible with our assemblage art. Many of the original pieces were created purely out of personal desire. Assemblage is a fantastic genre for exploring ideas around found objects and original sculptures. It provides limitless experimentation with color and shape. It wasn’t until we started seeing the reactions of our family and friends that we realized how truly onto something we were. From 2020 to 2022, we lived and worked in an artist coop in Lowertown, Saint Paul. Twice a year, the area sponsors Art Crawls. Many in the crowds would stop and stare. It wasn’t uncommon to hear. This is the first time I’ve seen something like this. We’ve since moved out of the coop and have started vending our pieces at Oddities and Curiosities Expos. Again, our work is being received with awe and expressed excitement.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might need to be more familiar with what you do, what can you tell them about what you do?
Based on the response from collectors and fans, our art’s unique style draws viewers in and sets us apart from other artists. It’s not uncommon to hear comments like this is making my mind do things, or I can’t stop looking. Watching people have such a visceral reaction to something we’ve created is so rewarding.
Do you have any advice for those just starting?
Feel free to break the rules. Just keep trying different things. (Dan is self-taught. He’s fantastic at seeing beyond an item’s intended purpose, especially with art materials. He’s constantly breaking the rules. Jen, on the other hand, was trained at an art college. Despite having worked creatively for many decades, it wasn’t until Dan encouraged her to “break the rules” that she genuinely felt how rewarding creative work could be.)
Contact Info:
- Instagram: dajenart22
