JESSE KAMERZELL // Between Today and Tomorrow

On view May 16–June 21, 2026
Opening reception Saturday, May 16 (2–4pm)

Nationale is pleased to present new work by Portland based painter and tradesman Jesse Kamerzell. Highly regarded for his meticulous tiled sculptures and furniture, the artist here diverges from his background of rectilinear forms. Between Today and Tomorrow delivers a hauntingly melancholic and enigmatic painting exhibition centered on a dreamscape of vacant structures set against barren, vividly colored hills. Through ambiguous forms and evocative color, he expresses complex and even subconscious emotions, inviting viewers to deepen their own internal search.

His painted houses, churches, and circus tents allude to a recurring dream that haunted Kamerzell nightly throughout childhood. In this unconscious state, he wanders an eerie landscape; his destination remains unclear, as does his purpose, yet both feel urgent and nostalgic. By reconstructing this meandering journey through acrylic works on canvas, he encourages reflection on one’s own feelings of calm and chaos, certainty and mystery. In works such as Paralysis, a cathedral-like structure—lacking walls and distinct detail—appears as a mirage atop a blue expanse. In Escape, red and blue big tops evoke a familiar sense of whimsy and childlike awe for trapeze acts, elephant tricks, cotton candy. Yet the absence of these recognizable features subtly unsettles the comfort of such memory.

Displayed alongside one another in the gallery, the paintings weave an intricate narrative of one’s internal journey. Intentional installation details further extend this visual storyline. Near the windows of the Front Gallery, two identically sized church scenes face each other, acting as foils and creating a moment of disorientation or “double take,” much like in the artist’s dreams. Similarly, two paintings of vacant houses are installed high in a far corner of the exhibition space. This arrangement emphasizes recurring imagery while heightening a sense of unease, thereby challenging conventional perceptions of both physical and imagined environments.

Each painting echoes the beginning of a dream or a stop along the way. Shaped by personal experience, certain motifs may evoke fear and shame, others acceptance and playfulness. Whether today, tomorrow, or sometime in between, emotional reckoning eventually comes for us all.

Jesse Kamerzell is a traditionally trained bricklayer and painter based in Portland, OR. In addition to his studio practice, he designs and fabricates one-of-a-kind functional objects in solid masonry, balancing playfulness with utility. His work has been exhibited at One Grand Gallery, Old Friends, Frances May, and Wilma.

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