By City Times staff

WISCONSIN RAPIDS – Forty-eight works of 1997 Lincoln High School graduate, Jacob Dhein are on exhibit at the Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art.

Dhein obtained his undergraduate degree from University of Oshkosh and studied for a master in fine art at the Academy of Art University-San Francisco, graduating in 2013.

Dhein began painting in 2003, and since that time has exhibited all over the United States, as well as the United Kingdom and France. His work has been featured in solo exhibitions in Paris, France; San Francisco, CA; and Denver, CO; and he has participated in approximately 50 group exhibits.

“In my recent series of paintings I employ a variety of contemporary and traditional techniques to create a visual experience to entice the observer,” Dhein says in his artist’s statement. “One of my goals is to have the paintings possess an abstract quality when viewed at a proximity of 3-5 feet, but as the observer steps back the painting becomes more representational. This in turn makes the process of paint application an important part of the whole. I achieve this by using a variety of tools including a brush, palette knife, brayer, and squeegee. There is a visual map in many of the works that allows the viewer to see my process. This is especially evident in my paintings of dancers. From the initial toning of the panel to the last mark, the viewer is able to see the process upon close inspection.

“My paintings consist of two different subject matters, figurative/portrait and cityscape, painted in a similar style by using the same applications although to different degrees.”

Dhein’s exhibit, “A Retrospective,” currently on display at the Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art runs through Oct. 3.

“The Wausau exhibition is a retrospective show from the last 15 years (2005-present),” Dhein said in an interview with City Times staff. “It represents the different stages of development beginning with my undergraduate artwork, a transitional stage leading to graduate school, my graduate thesis work, and lastly my development after receiving my MFA.”

Dhein currently lives in Cádiz, Spain. He is the son of Bonnie and Dan Dhein, Wisconsin Rapids.

For more on the Wausau exhibit, visit https://wmoca.org.