The Soft Power of Portraits: Exploring the Art of Jordan Casteel
When we think about art that truly makes us feel seen, Jordan Casteel is a name that resonates deeply—especially for Black women, creatives, and anyone who finds magic in everyday moments. Her paintings do something rare: they don’t just depict people, they invite you into their world. They hold space. They offer softness, depth, and truth.
As a Black female artist in the contemporary fine art world, Casteel is rewriting the narrative by using her work to humanize and uplift her community. Born in 1989 in Denver, Colorado, and now based in New York, Jordan Casteel rose to prominence for her rich, expressive portraits of Black and brown people, many of whom are from her Harlem neighborhood. Her work is both personal and political, but never preachy. It’s art that breathes, that lives, that honors the presence and complexity of Black life.
Who Is Jordan Casteel?
Jordan is a graduate of Yale University’s MFA program and an alumna of Agnes Scott College. She’s a painter, a storyteller, and at her core, a deeply observant woman who chooses to see people in full color—literally and figuratively. Her subjects range from family and friends to local shop owners, students, and everyday New Yorkers. Each painting begins with conversation, trust, and the kind of presence that feels increasingly rare in our fast-paced world.
In 2020, Jordan Casteel’s first solo museum exhibition, Within Reach, debuted at the New Museum in New York. It was a love letter to Harlem, to the people who inspire her, and to the power of representation. The show featured over 40 paintings, each more vibrant, emotionally charged, and tender than the last.
Why Her Work Matters Right Now
In an era where visual storytelling is everywhere—Instagram feeds, TikTok, Pinterest—it’s easy to scroll past images without really seeing them. Jordan Casteel disrupts that rhythm. Her large-scale canvases pull you in. You stop. You observe. You feel. That alone is radical.
And let’s talk about the gaze. So often in Western art history, Black bodies have been objectified or erased altogether. Jordan reclaims the gaze. Her subjects meet your eyes. They’re not passive. They’re not decorative. They’re alive with agency, emotion, and color. As Black women especially, we recognize the labor of visibility—and Jordan’s portraits validate that lived experience.
The Color of Care
One of the most striking aspects of Jordan’s work is her use of color. Bold greens, rich browns, soft purples, burnt oranges—her palette feels both intentional and intuitive. She paints skin tones with dimension and depth, often using unexpected hues to suggest shadow, movement, and inner life. It’s like she’s showing us how to look beyond the surface, how to really see someone.
This emotional intimacy is what makes her work so special. There’s a quiet strength in her brushstrokes. Her art reminds us that softness is a form of resistance. And if you’re a Black girl navigating both ambition and vulnerability, Jordan’s art feels like a visual affirmation that you don’t have to harden to be powerful.
For the Creatives, the Feelers, the Girls Who Dream
If you’ve ever walked through a museum wondering where you are—your story, your skin tone, your community—Jordan Casteel’s art is an answer. It says, “You’re here. You’ve always been here.”
She paints from a place of care. Of attention. Of empathy. And for those of us building careers, and lives rooted in intention, that’s inspiring. Whether you’re figuring out what’s next, Jordan reminds us to stay present. To look closely. To see the beauty in what’s already around us.
Final Thoughts: Why We’re Watching Jordan Casteel
Jordan Casteel is more than just an artist to watch—she’s an artist to feel. Her work belongs on mood boards and vision walls. Not just because it’s beautiful, but because it reflects the kind of energy we want more of in this world: thoughtful, grounded, joyful, and unafraid to hold space for real people.
So if you’re ever near a gallery showing her work, make the time. Stand in front of a canvas. Let your eyes adjust to the color, the detail, the gaze. You’ll feel something shift—subtle but certain.
Jordan Casteel is painting the future. And it’s bold, brilliant, and beautifully Black.
pinkies up,
until next time-
-m
Check out more about the artist here