Jay Rechsteiner

I was born in 1971 in Basel, Switzerland, and educated in Switzerland, Japan, and the UK. Now living and working in Margate, UK, my work spans various media, including painting, drawing, film, sound, and performance. My focus is on two series: Bad Painting and All About You.

Bad Painting features faux-naïf style artworks addressing real human atrocities, with text sourced from various headlines. Each piece combines bold brushstrokes with descriptive text to capture contemporary societal shifts.

All About You examines the complexities of the modern mind in the age of social media, touching on themes like spiritual healing and affirmations. Using materials like printing paper and masking tape, it highlights the temporary nature of material things versus the enduring power of ideas. Including self-portraits adds a personal layer, showing the human connection between the art and the artist.

My goal is to create thought-provoking works that resonate on both intellectual and emotional levels.

Awards
Winner of The Alpine Fellowship Visual Arts Prize 2024


Anthology 2017 finalists, Charlie Smith Gallery, London, UK,

shortlisted for 34. Fukuoka-City Art Exhibition, Fukuoka Art Museum, Fukuoka-City, Japan, 2000

Photography at Michigan State University, USA, 2016

Art history, drawing, concept & methods at Basel School of Design, Switzerland, 2002 - 2003

Painting at Neue Kunstschule Zürich, Switzerland, 1992 - 1995

Exhibitions:
Featured in solo and group exhibitions across Japan, France, Italy (including the Venice Biennale), Switzerland, Portugal, the UK, Greece, Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands.

Awards:
Winner of The Alpine Fellowship Visual Arts Prize 2024
Anthology 2017 finalists, Charlie Smith Gallery, London, UK,
shortlisted for 34. Fukuoka-City Art Exhibition, Fukuoka Art
Museum, Fukuoka-City, Japan, 2000

Residencies:
2015 – 2016: Undertook a 15-month traveling art
residency, ‘The Red Van,’ generously funded by WW Gallery.
2012: monoloqueArt residency at La maison du comédien,
Domaine de la Vergne, 16490 Alloue - France.

Projects:
Founded and curated The Washroom Projects, a social art
project based in London.
Collaboration with Portuguese Punk musician Victor
Torpedo under the pseudonyms Sardine & Tobleroni,
resulting in exhibitions and a partnership with WW Gallery.
The Washroom Talks presented twice at Tate Liverpool.