BIO

Jason (Jay) Michael Balmes (born in Syracuse, NY) is a self-taught artist who employs a method of therapeutic expression. Jay's work serves as a physical release and visual representation of his subconscious—abstract yet defined. His pieces convey intimate details of emotion intertwined with an unwavering passion for music and creativity that thrives within modern society.

Balmes emerged onto the New York City art scene in 2011. However, his career as an artist had unknowingly begun many years earlier. While recovering at home from a lengthy hospital stay, Jay reached for some of the supplies his artist and designer mother had around the house to help pass the time as he healed.

Seventeen years later, during a visit home, Jay’s mother showed him these drawings, which she had held onto for all those years. Having just moved into a new apartment, he decided to hang these images to help fill his bare walls.

One day, while reading an issue of Complex Magazine, Jay came across an advertisement for The Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series—a nationwide contest searching for the next great undiscovered artist. After receiving encouraging words from a friend, he took these drawings off his walls and entered them into the competition.

A few weeks passed, and Jay received an email stating that his work was selected out of thousands of entries to be part of the NYC regional final at Rush Arts Gallery in Chelsea. This marked the beginning of his new life as an artist.

His first solo exhibition soon followed at Nepenthes NY, leading to several other exhibits across the country, brand partnerships (Nepenthes, PUMA, Engineered For Motion), residential and commercial murals, and features within various art and fashion publications.

When he is not in his studio, Jay has been a mainstay in the fashion and marketing industries, working on strategy and creative partnerships for some of the most recognized brands in the world. He is also a mentor, volunteer, and advocate for maintaining the arts within schools.

Jay currently works and resides in Los Angeles.