Meet Pam Jue | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Pam Jue and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Pam, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I was always inclined to create because it was how I played. I went to college to study studio art in New York and was exposed to all kinds of art in that environment. It expanded my views but also made me focus less on the process of making art and more on how people would receive and judge it. As I got closer to graduation, a fear of failure took hold that stopped me from making art for over a decade.

One day, during the height of COVID, I was feeling particularly unsettled, so I picked up a pen to doodle. Before I knew it, my black-and-white doodles transformed into an exploration of redefining my relationship with art and myself. It was a very healing experience. I didn’t care about the outcome because I was completely engrossed in the process. The more I let go, the more my inner child came out to play. Since then, art has been a central part of my day-to-day life.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My work is an inquiry into the mind-body connection, which started in my meditation practice. When I meditate, I observe what’s happening internally. I found that I could do this while drawing. I could witness how each mark on the paper translates my experience at that moment, whether it’s coming from my conscious or unconscious mind. What surprised me early on was how my pieces began to resemble different views of the natural world, a cell under a microscope, or a zoomed-out aerial landscape. Without it being my intention, my art showed me that my experiences are not mine alone. Everything is profoundly connected.

My biggest challenge with my art practice is that I want to invest more into it, but I have a full-time job that consumes much of my time. When work and life don’t leave me space to make my art, I remind myself this situation will change. Making art is a lifelong practice.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Anywhere outdoors! That’s one of my favorite things about the Bay Area is its proximity to nature. I would start with a park like Muir Woods or Big Sur, head to a regional park in the Berkeley or Oakland Hills, and wrap up the week with a visit to a hot spring like Harbin.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are many people that come to mind but the two that stand out the most are my parents. I come from a family of engineers so being a professional artist was unconventional. When I decided to study art in college, they never questioned or tried to convince me to follow a more “practical” path. They cared more about my happiness. I’m very grateful they’ve been there every step of the way.

Website: www.pamjueart.com

Instagram: pamjueart