“Out of Reach.”
When she first embarked upon her solo journey across the United States, in January 2021, Michelle Jader expected to only be away for a year. San Francisco’s skies were painted orange from wildfire smoke and the COVID-19 pandemic was still raging throughout the city by the time she left. Feeling “emotionally and creatively caged,” the artist ended up on the road for two years, visiting art communities, staging pop-up photo shoots, and creating her own paintings across 36 states. Now, Jader’s travels are the focus of her latest solo exhibition at Robert Lange Studios in South Carolina.
Aptly named Untethered, the exhibition serves as a “visual diary of transformation” and “trust in the unknown,” according to Jader. It should come as no surprise, then, that the featured artwork also embodies the tension between familiarity and uncertainty. In these paintings, women float through blankets of fog; their limbs twist and bend, suspended in the air; they close their eyes so delicately they almost appear to be sleeping; and they dance, their actions captured as ghostly, overlapping traces. Each work is mysterious and otherworldly, recalling the color palettes of Edgar Degas and the energetic movement of Giacomo Balla.
“Movement is deeply honest,” Jader explains. “I’ve always been fascinated by that fleeting moment in mid-motion—when a body is airborne or suspended, and you don’t know yet how or where it will land.”
A body in mid-motion, of course, is similar to one in transit. In their hazy textures and dreamy atmospheres, Jader’s paintings remind us of the questions inherent in leaving home: where am I going? and who will I meet along the way? For Jader, that was the whole exercise behind her solo trek across the country. The paintings in Untethered address both these questions and their answers, where the artist says “fear, freedom, vulnerability, and strength all converge.”
“My paintings are often about those ‘messy middle’ moments,” she explains. “You’re no longer who you were, but not yet who you’ll become. It’s a vulnerable, in-between place, but you’re not alone.”
My Modern Met had the chance to speak with Michelle Jader about her creative process, her journey across the United States, and her new exhibition. Read on for our exclusive interview with the artist.
“Quiet Descent.”
What originally compelled you about painting as your primary medium?
Painting lets me explore emotional undercurrents in a way that feels both physical and authentic. I’m drawn to the tension between control and surrender that shows up in both life and brushwork. It’s the perfect medium for capturing that in-between state—when we’re suspended in motion, unsure of what comes next. That emotional limbo is where a lot of truth lives.
What is the process of creating one of your artworks, and how has that process evolved throughout time?
Each painting begins with movement—both literally and metaphorically. Once I have a theme I want to explore, I hire models and stage photo shoots to capture a figure in motion, selecting frames that evoke an emotional charge. I then paint different parts of that movement on separate acrylic panels, layering them to create a sense of dimensionality and time unfolding.
For Untethered, my solo show currently on view at Robert Lange Studio for the month of June, I brought AI into my process for the first time. I fed in imagery and ideas to experiment with new concepts for backgrounds. Later, I used AI tools to help turn my personal writing—journals, voice recordings, and blog posts—into companion songs for the artwork. It’s been energizing to work across media, blending traditional technique with modern tools to create an immersive experience.
“Rush of the Storm.”
Movement is a significant theme within your practice. What first intrigued you about it?
Movement is deeply honest. It reveals what we’re feeling even before we can name it. I’ve always been fascinated by that fleeting moment mid-motion—when a body is airborne or suspended, and you don’t know yet how or where it will land. That moment mirrors the emotional free fall we all experience during change. It’s where fear, freedom, vulnerability, and strength all converge.
What techniques do you rely upon to capture movement so successfully within a two-dimensional format?
My approach is built on layering. I use semi-transparent materials like acrylic or mylar and paint individual gestures or moments on separate surfaces. When stacked, they create an almost sculptural effect where the figure appears to hover or shift, depending on the viewer’s position.
I also use blurred edges, expressive brushstrokes, and sometimes a slight misalignment between layers to intensify the sense of motion. It’s about capturing not just what the body is doing—but what the person is feeling in that exact moment.
“Untethered.”
A few years ago, you traveled across the United States to discover the country’s art communities. How did that experience impact your creative practice?
That journey was everything. I left San Francisco during a time of extreme uncertainty—the sky was literally orange from wildfire smoke, the pandemic was isolating, and I felt emotionally and creatively caged. I put everything I owned in storage and hit the road, not knowing where I’d land. I just needed to move, to breathe, and create.
My one-year plan turned into a two-year journey as I crossed 36 states. It was a solo trip, and along the way, I met artists, visited different art communities, explored what it means to be alone, and redefined what “home” meant to me. I created while in motion, held pop-up photo shoots in unfamiliar places, and captured emotions I didn’t know I had until they emerged in paint. That experience shaped Untethered—not just as a body of work, but as a visual diary of transformation and trust in the unknown.
“Somewhere I'll Be.”
What do you hope people will take away from your work?
I hope viewers feel invited to pause and reflect on their own experiences with change. We all go through moments of transformation—some chosen, some forced—that can give us strength and resolve, but more often leave us disoriented or undone. My paintings are often about those “messy middle” moments, both the surrender and the struggle when you’re pushing through. You’re no longer who you were, but not yet who you’ll become. It’s a vulnerable, in-between place. You may not know the next step, and you’re certainly not in control—and that can feel terrifying.
But you’re not alone.
We all pass through that space at some point in our lives. My hope is that when someone stands in front of a painting, they feel seen and understood. That they recognize themselves in the motion, the emotion, the ambiguity—and in doing so, feel a quiet strength or a sense of connection. If someone looks and thinks, “That’s how it felt” or “I’ve been there too,” then something beautiful has happened. That moment of resonance, that shared humanity—that’s the real magic for me.
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Do you have any exciting projects coming up?
Yes! I’ve returned to Charleston for my June 2025 solo show Untethered at Robert Lange Studios, where this whole journey began during an Artist Residency. The exhibition features my most personal and experiential work to date—layered paintings created from the experiences of my journey and featuring AI-assisted companion songs based on my own journals from the trip.
Each painting has a QR code so viewers can listen to the song that matches the emotion and story behind the work. It’s a multisensory invitation to step inside the journey—not just mine, but maybe their own as well. Whether someone is navigating change, rediscovering themselves, or simply searching for grounding, I hope this body of work becomes a mirror. One that reflects both the vulnerability and the strength we all carry as we move through the unknown—layer by layer.
