Jason Najarak
BIOGRAPHY
Starting at age 14 - when a school arts program sent him from rural Minnesota to classes at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design - Jason Najarak traversed the globe, using his artistic talents in an intriguing variety of ways.
After Reader's Digest featured him in 1958 as one of America's Top Ten Young Artists, Jason completed his B.A. degree at the University of Minnesota. He then spent four years in Hollywood as a scene painter and stuntman.
While in Hollywood, actor and noted art connoisseur Vincent Price encouraged Jason to actively pursue a career in art. At age 25, Jason set off to see the world. In Europe, he managed to meet art world luminaries including Picasso, Fuchs, Hausner, Dali, Chagall and Felini. Jason then spent a few years in Jerusalem, exhibiting his work there and in England. In the mid- 70s, he met Salvador Dali and later helped Gala (Dali’s wife) with the print editions of Dali’s work.
In 1972, Jason discovered the artwork of Ernst Fuchs and traveled to Vienna to meet the great master of Fantastic Realism. He studied under Fuchs at the Fuchs Mische Seminar at Reichenau an der Rax and later entered the Vienna Fine Arts Academy, studying briefly under the well-known painter Rudolf Hausner.
Exhibitions in Vienna, Turin, London, Boston and New York followed. In 1974 Jason's work was exhibited in a two man show along with Marc Chagall at Brandeis University. He returned to Europe to exhibit his work in Manchester, Paris, Brussels and Rome. He then went to the Netherlands where he established the Najarak Seminar, teaching Flemish painting and the Mische Technique. In 1980, he returned to the U.S. and established the Primal Realism Art Movement.
The 1980s saw Jason traveling far and wide; from an artist exchange with Minneapolis' sister city Iberaki in Japan, to shows in London, Manchester, Portofino, Zurich, Basel, Hong Kong, Tokyo and New Delhi. In a project for the Masons, he created an etching for the president of Italy that was given to the leaders of 67 countries including President Carter.
Jason began working worldwide with children, creating major works of art based on their creativity. He has worked in precious metals, including works for Les Kouba, Prince Charles, and the Shahs of Kuwait and Bahrain. He has created a series of working war machines based on drawings by Da Vinci.
Jason continues to teach Mische Seminars, restores churches in Minnesota, works with children through Elayne Galleries, creates murals for individuals, corporations, communities, and museums. Jason created monumental sculptures including a major installation depicting the Mayo brothers in the operating theatre for the Mayo Clinic. He created the artwork for the Red River Museum dedicated to the life of T.B. Walker and his logging empire. Jason recently designed and painted a mural in the dome of the Gates mansion in Washington State.
Jason’s energy and love of creating artwork are phenomenal. He always has a number of projects going simultaneously. "My only regret," Jason says, "is that I can't possibly have the time to do all the artistic projects that I envision." He would like his epitaph to read "Just one more brushstroke, Lord.”
Jason's Resume
Jason Meets Picasso - "Go Paint"