Jennifer Bak
Toledo, Ohio-based visual and kinetic artist and performer, who draws inspiration from my multi-cultural background and upbringing in the American Midwest. With a focus on creating visual narratives through photography, dance, and costuming, my goal is to mix fine art and expression with action and activism.

Through portrait series and narratives, ranging from realistic to playful to macabre to fantastical, I wish help change the narrative by challenging and subverting the subconscious assumptions held by our society -- ultimately, uplifting underrepresented and often maligned individuals, communities, and subcultures. Helping to create normalization through representation and also explore the psychology of how individuals process, categorize, and emotionally deal with the world around them. 

In addition to client commissions, my current projects explore topics such as world cultures and inclusivity, intersectionality, power structures, race, LGBT rights, and social subcultures such as BDSM and Shibari practitioners. I strive to give representation to these groups and increase awareness of them in mainstream culture, as well as collaborating with these communities to help give voice, empowerment, and expression.

I strive to bring awareness to the fact that the norm is not the standard and that what we take for granted as "just the way things are" is really just one amongst many choices for how we can conduct our lives. 

(Here we have a playful family self-portrait, featuring a well-coiffed wife and husband, and doting pets. Upon closer examination, you may notice my pet snake around my neck -- adding a bit of a subversive note to the "perfect" family portrait.)