Artist & Educator
Alex Jarus is a Chicago-based artist and educator whose work blends human scaled sculpture with tradition furniture forms. Rooted in historical chair making and carving principles, their practice reimagines craft as a language for queer and non-binary identity. The “artifacts” that they create seem as if they were unearthed from distant futures or forgotten pasts. Their work invites viewers to interact with vernacular objects in a space where function blends with curiosity and the material becomes a vessel of speculative fiction.
As an educator, they fosters inclusive and experimental learning environments, where strong foundations support risk-taking and failure becomes a pathway to discovery.
They received their MFA in Furniture Design at Rochester Institute of Technology & BFA from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts with a BFA in Design & Production with a concentration in Stage Properties.
Awards - Exhibitions - Press
Chicago Sculpture International - Impressions, July - August 2025
"Waymarker"
Oak Park Art Council - 2025 Sculpture Walk, May 2025 - April 2026
"The Self, Emblazoned
Chicago Sculpture International - Shadows, March - April 2025
“Ouroborial”
Third Rail Collective - 7 Artists Working in Neon, July- September 2024
“Ocularis” & “Tethered Light”
Izora Contemporary - Wander Home: Three Artist Show, October - December 2024
“Ouroborial” , “Orbital Dynamics” , “Quiet is the Night” , “Omwei” , & “Apricity”
Wharton Esherick Museum - Rhythms, June- September 2024
“Intangible Relic”
Bridgeport Arts Center - 12th Annual Juried Arts Competition, May 2024 - July 2024
“Ouroborial”
Alma Art & Interiors - Gallery Representation, April 2024 - Present
“Perch Upon The Void” & “Indeterminate Artifact”
Fulton Street Collective - Tiny Works, December 2023- January 2024
“Quiet is the Night”
RIT Art Out Exhibition, November - December 2022
“Orbital Dynamics”
RIT News - Artist Interview, August 2022
“MFA student finds their artistic voice in furniture design” by Jenna Warren
RIT Graduate Visual Exhibition, April 2022
Awarded: Certification of Excellence (Visual Exhibition)
“Intangible Relic”
Memorial Art Gallery 67th Rochester - Finger Lakes Exhibition, August - October 2021
“Spheroid Stool”
Storytelling without words: Props bring “Spring Awakening” to life
A documentation of UNCSA’s 2020 production of Spring Awakening. This video serves as the promo video for UNCSA’s Stage Properties undergrad and grad programs. As the Lead Artisan for the production, I played a major role in both the production and documentary.