Jennifer Merdjan
Jennifer Merdjan is known for working with recycled shoes and everyday utilitarian objects she has collected as a consumer to create shoe-sculptures and assemblages. Her sustainable-artwork playfully explores the interplay of time, materiality and objects. She has been making sculptures by repurposing every shoe she has worn for the last 30 years, and she has no plans to stop in the future. It's a lifelong art project!
Her shoe-sculpture was exhibited at a Pop-Up Exhibit at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. She exhibits her artwork across different venues including galleries, art festivals, and fundraising events. Works from her If Shoes Could Talk Project have raised funds for the United Nations and the American Heart Association. Internationally she exhibited at ICANA (Instituto Cultural Argentino Norteamericano). Her whimsical shoe-sculptures were featured on Univision’s Control TV show.
Jennifer’s graphic designs reached national audiences during the time she worked in magazine and book publishing. Now, she explores the intricate relationship between language and images in her artist practice to design artist books.
Jennifer Merdjan is also an award-winning high school art educator. Her academic work along with her students’ art using recycled materials received mention in the New York Times.
Her work aligns with four of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (#5 Gender Equality, #12 Responsible Consumption and Production, #13 Climate Action, #17 Partnerships for the goals).
