Jennifer Usman

Jennifer Hoffman Usman (formally known as Jennifer Jackson) is a Chicago-based visual artist and art product designer whose "contemporary-traditional” work feels both timely and timeless, combining a modern aesthetic with traditional philosophies and methods.

Through her studio, Jennifer Usman Art, she creates one-of-a-kind, commissioned art pieces for private collectors and institutional clients worldwide, as well as pieces for public sales and exhibitions.

Employing traditional geometry to create designs, and a proprietary method of paper-cutting, she lights each piece to create awe-inspiring works of art, which engender serenity and contemplation in viewers.

Noteworthy works include ‘Illumination’ (commissioned by The Prince’s Foundation School of Traditional Arts, to serve as a backdrop for a lecture by its founder Charles, Prince of Wales); a 5’x6’ art installation serving as a permanent privacy wall for a campus prayer room (commissioned by the City University of London, created in collaboration with UK-based calligrapher Soraya Syed); a line of wall lamps (inspired by the 99 Names of the Divine); and a 9”x 9” Serenity Lamps, conceived and created during the Pandemic of 2020, to provide comfort and inspiration during a time of global anxiety.

Previously, she worked in the advertising industry in Chicago as a prop-maker and package designer for nearly a decade. She is an American Muslim convert to Islam, drawing immeasurable artistic inspiration from her faith and spiritual practice.

Jen holds an MA in Visual Islamic and Traditional Arts from The Prince's Foundation School of Traditional Arts in London, and a BFA in Communication Design from Texas State University.