Femme to Femme Fatale

Jana Brike was born in Latvia, a small country in the Northeastern part of Europe, while it was under Soviet occupation. Her childhood was bittersweet, molded by dark stories of war and deportation told to her by her grandparents, the cold and conservative atmosphere of catholic church ceremonies, and heightened by breathtaking ballets at the Opera House. Her inspirations are as diverse as folklore fairy tales, children’s book illustrations, imaginative Soviet animation films, and supernatural classical paintings.  She is also influenced by the colorful but forbidden imagery of Western pop culture that was guarded by her religious upbringing.

Jana Brike was born in Latvia, a small country in the Northeastern part of Europe, while it was under Soviet occupation. Her childhood was bittersweet, molded by dark stories of war and deportation told to her by her grandparents, the cold and conservative atmosphere of catholic church ceremonies, and heightened by breathtaking ballets at the Opera House. Her inspirations are as diverse as folklore fairy tales, children’s book illustrations, imaginative Soviet animation films, and supernatural classical paintings.  She is also influenced by the colorful but forbidden imagery of Western pop culture that was guarded by her religious upbringing.

A Southern California native, Emilio Villalba received his BFA from the Art Institute of California in 2006, and his MFA in Painting from the Academy of Art University in 2011. He currently lives in San Francisco where he teaches at the Art Institute of California and Cogswell College.