Jacques de Beaufort (Born 1975) received a BA in Art from The University of Virginia and an MFA in Painting from CalArts. An early participant in the now seminal LA Chinatown Art Scene, he has exhibited nationally in solo shows in NY, Los Angeles, and West Palm Beach. Since 2010 de Beaufort has taught Painting and Drawing at Palm Beach State College in Lake Worth, FL. De Beaufort directed the feature film Sanctum and Sacrum and created Unit 1, an alternative art and music space that gave early exposure to many now prominent artist. After a sabbatical from painting to visit and study sacred sites across Asia and the Americas, de Beaufort returned to art making in 2024.

Statement

Influenced by 20th-century Surrealism, vintage science-fiction book covers, and 19th-century Romanticism, I create imagined realms where figures shift, dissolve, and transform. These environments are charged with mercurial energy, suggesting hidden powers that animate our inner selves.

After a period of personal and creative struggle, I returned to painting as a means of transmutation. My approach echoes the alchemical concept of the Magnum Opus, a search for the “Philosophers Stone” by working with the prima materia of identity and experience. As my figures bend into existence, they reflect the possibilities for growth, transformation, and the emergence of the integrated self.

Alchemy and esoteric traditions are central to my work. Sorcerers and magicians witness or initiate processes of change, protection, and contemplation. Symbols such as the Cosmic Egg and the Eye of Providence embody the Hermetic belief that creativity and imagination are powerful tools for personal development.