Artist Jessica Mungekar presents a collection of unusual sculpture that fulfills her artistic vision and contributes to the community. See more by visiting her website.
“Main Line Art Center: 3 Spheres” cement, acrylic paint, yarn, sealant, 30″, 24″, and 12″ round
My professional development has been anything but a straight line. Growing up, I was immersed in the arts as my father was a sculptor.
“12-Inch Sphere with Night Garden” cement, acrylic paint, paint pens, sealant, 12″ round
Thinking I wanted to follow in his footsteps, I attended art school and earned my BFA. After graduation, I quickly learned that being a professional artist was not going to work out at that time. I floundered for a few years as a banquet server and then as a nanny before attending graduate school. This time I earned a Master’s in Social Work.
“String Garden Globe Painted Rust” cement, yarn, spray paint, sealant, 12″
I worked for a few years before admitting that that too, was a mismatch. Frustrated that my two ideas for careers didn’t work out, I decided to take a break from working and stay home with my then-newborn. I have been home with my children for the last 16 years. But in 2018 I began to open the door to art again.
“Bee Sphere, Stone House Village” cement, acrylic paint, paint pens, sealant, 12″ round
I always had a vision of being an artist who impacted communities, but I was unsure how to go about it in a meaningful way. During 2018, I missed making art and started experimenting with materials. Eventually, I discovered cement. Around the same time, I noticed that a majority of my previous art utilized circular shapes.
“Community Painted Sphere, Longport NJ” cement, acrylic paint, paint pens, sealant, 24″ round
Through contemplation, I discovered the power of the sphere. From that moment forward creating spherical sculptures became the focus of my artmaking.
“Bird Sphere, Yellow, Robin, and Brown Birds” cement, acrylic paint, paint pens, sealant, 12″ round
The sphere’s impact on humans has been around for thousands of years, in a myriad of ways. Some of them include philosophy, mathematics, nature, and spiritualism. For me, the spherical shape represents life itself, boundaries, and balance. When I started making spherical sculptures and they created the traction I always hoped for, I immediately knew that this was the work I was meant to do.
“24-Inch Blue Sphere” cement, acrylic paint, sealant, 24″ round
In 2021, I began tying together my long-time vision of helping communities and my love for spherical sculptures. Through a climate resilience grant project, I led four community-wide workshops where participants painted images depicting their love for their land. This experience solidified for me what my path is: to impact communities positively through my art form.
“24-Inch String Sphere” cement, yarn, 24″ round
To further my mission, I take commissions for hand painted images on spheres. When placed in the public eye, these spheres add beauty to the area. They call passersby to stop and draw closer to soak in their unique beauty. They leave them feeling good and with new conversation pieces.
Artist Jessica Mungekar with one of her sculptures
Moving forward, I hope to continue seeking opportunities that will allow me to work with communities through workshops, projects, and/or commissions.
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