Jason Karolak researched and created in the small village of Sinthian
February 2025 – Drew University’s Jason Karolak recently completed a research and artistic residency in Senegal.
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Karolak, associate teaching professor of art and Drew’s visual arts coordinator, was awarded residency at the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation’s cultural center in the remote village of Sinthian in southern Senegal.
Karolak spent four weeks in Sinthian, doing research, absorbing the environment, and creating new works in a studio.
“It was a very heightened and productive time for me, and I was able to produce a body of paintings on paper which explored loosely geometric structures of colored shapes,” said Karolak. “I drew inspiration from the arid yet lush landscape, birdwatching, textile patterns, and architectural vernaculars.”
Now back teaching, Karolak has brought lessons learned in Senegal to the Drew classroom.
“All of this expanded my understanding of contemporary art and how art and design are situated within the everyday lives of people. When I work with students in the Senior Studio course, we talk about how to draw from primary experiences, like I’ve just had, when building a practice.”
