Origins
Tessa J Harrison is a Neosurrealist painter based in Kansas City. Her work embodies ideas of female identity, empowerment and beauty. She graduated with a BFA in Printmaking from the Kansas City Art Institute in 2013. Her preferred mediums are gouache and acrylics on Japanese Kozo Paper or Cold Pressed Cotton Paper. She is influenced by Surrealism, Futurism, and Pop Art. Her work focuses on the female form, pulling inspiration from flora & fauna – especially from the colors and patterns of sea creatures. During her third year at KCAI, she was selected for a commission by the Nelson Atkins Museum to create an etching for the show, “Fine Lines: Whistler and the American Etching Revival.” In 2013, Harrison was one of the designers chosen for the West 18th St. Fashion Show, themed Gilded Summer.
After graduation, she worked as a florist for several years and fell in love with mastering the art of sculpting with flowers. Becoming a floral designer brought a new perspective to the work she creates today, especially when it comes to her understanding of color. In 2022, she participated in a group exhibition at the Weinberger Gallery titled, “The Life You’ve Seen,” which featured a group of all female identifying artists in the Kansas City area. In March of 2023, she had a Solo Exhibition, “Primordial Planets: Age of Venus,” at Vulpes Bastille Gallery. Currently she works as an artist and Product Integrity Manager at Porter Teleo, a fine art hand-painted wallpaper and textile company.
“ My portraits exalt an aura of legendary tribe leaders or perhaps matriarchal cultures on alternate worlds, especially in the most recent series of femme alien babes. They are a fusion between historical and pop cultural references presented through a Sci Fi lens. The worlds I create seamlessly flow between ancient elements and futuristic atmospheres. It is important that I convey a sense of emotion, such as melancholy, strength or serenity. Women are incredibly complex beings and I paint them as these majestic, wild warriors to remind myself and others of those inherent qualities in ourselves. We are strong. We are powerful. We are confident. ”