Artist Biography:

Rebecca Jean May (b. 2003, Neenah, Wisconsin) is a Chicago-based visual artist and educator specializing in acrylic painting and colored pencil drawing. May earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art Education (BFAAE) at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2025. She is a Licensed PK-12 Visual Arts Teacher in the State of Illinois.

May’s paintings are characterized by their graphic style, emotive color palette, repeating shapes, rhythmic compositions, and flat surfaces. Her paintings explore childhood memories, interpersonal relationships, tender yet humorous emotions, and journeys across the American Midwest. May’s drawing practice is known for its simplified approach to color, composition, and shape. Her drawings represent abstracted versions of objects from the natural world, such as rubies, moons, gardens, rocks, spiderwebs, waves, hills, and fire. May’s work balances labor-intensive techniques with a sense of playfulness.

May draws inspiration from diverse sources, including contemporary painting, the Chicago Imagist movement, geometric minimalism, graphic novels, digital illustration, ancient manuscripts, paper-cut collages, and patchwork quilts.

Rebecca Jean May’s work has been featured in several group exhibitions and acted as the Artist in Residence at Voices Studios in Dubuque, Iowa, in 2023. May is continuously evolving her artistic voice. She looks forward to further developing her painting practice and contributing to the art world through exhibitions, teaching, and lifelong learning.