Janet
Artist
Lila Kadaj
(American, born 1952)
Date1980
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions16 × 12 in. (40.6 × 30.5 cm)
ClassificationsPainting
Credit LineGift of James Pearson Duffy, 1992
Object numberUAC1333
DescriptionLike many artists, Lila Kadaj’s practice began young. As a girl growing up in Detroit, Kadaj would excitedly head down to her basement where she would draw and paint, experimenting with materials bought for her by her brother for Christmas. Rather than fuss over the particulars of her medium, Kadaj reveled in the joy of creating and the simple pleasure of rich oil colors and textures. Kadaj’s love of painting was never lost, and she went on to receive her MFA from Wayne State University. Kadaj’s work has been shown at numerous institutions, including the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Cranbrook Art Museum, and the Arab American National Museum.Kadaj spent nearly 27 years teaching art at Detroit Public schools, sharing her love for creating that began when she herself was a young girl. Such sharing strikes at something core in Kadaj’s work, something which children often remember, and adults forget. Art is something one makes because they wish to share how they see, how they feel, what could be, or what is. When prompted about her idea of art Kadaj stated, “Remember when we used to make art in elementary school? How we’d draw and paint? That’s just what we should do.” Kadaj creates because she loves it, because to not share of herself in such a way is unimaginable. Her painting, Janet, with its warm pinks and browns and chunky, textured brush strokes captures her clear excitement for art making, and childlike playfulness in doing so.
Written by Samantha Hohmann
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