Biography
Jessica Hess is an American painter renowned for her hyperrealistic urban landscapes featuring graffiti-covered ruins and decaying industrial buildings. Originally from Massachusetts and raised in North Carolina, she earned her BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2003. Since then, Hess has documented abandoned architecture and street art scenes across the U.S., blending realism with urban decay.
Using oil, acrylic, and gouache, Hess transforms thousands of photographs into striking paintings that highlight structure, simplicity, and the quiet beauty of neglect. Her work often removes elements like cars, people, and trash, creating more “perfect" urban landscapes. With a deep attention to detail, she captures graffiti-laden facades, bringing to light the tension between creation and decay.
In her recent “More is More" series, Hess embraces abstraction, allowing imperfections from her process to become intentional and expressive. Her award-winning work has been featured in galleries across the U.S., including Thinkspace and Spoke Art, and in publications like New American Paintings and Harper's Magazine. She is represented by Hashimoto Contemporary and Spoke Art.
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