Jaff Noel Seijas (b. 12/25/1949) is an American artist and illustrator.
Early Life- Born in Tampa, Florida Seijas was the eldest of seven children born to Raymond and Emma Seijas. His early years were spent in St. Petersburg, Florida. He was interested in art from a very early age. He left home to move in with his grandparents in Tampa and finished his last year of high school. Upon completing high school, he sailed to England and spent a year in London. Shortly upon his return to the states, he moved to Atlanta to study at the Atlanta College of Art. He began exhibiting his art in galleries as early as 1971 at the Reese Palley Gallery in Atlantic City, New Jersey and the Galarie Biesj in Amsterdam, Netherlands. One of his professors at the Atlanta College of Art was William Van Hettinga who took an interest in him and provided private instruction. It was through Van Hettinga that Seijas was introduced to Nan Hoover. He studied with her in Amsterdam which led to his exhibition at the Galarie Biesj. Ms. Hoover eventually became an internationally esteemed installation artist and a professor at both the Kunstakademie in Dusseldorf, Germany and the Rietveld Akademie in Amsterdam.
Career: After returning to Atlanta, Georgia, Seijas continued to exhibit in galleries as well as one man exhibitions and group shows. In the eighties he divided his time between Atlanta and Santa Fe, New Mexico. He exhibited in Santa Fe first at the Robert F. Nichols Gallery. His work has also been shown in Key West, Portland, Oregon, and in Munich, Germany. Mainly a figurative oil painter he has worked and exhibited in other mediums: drawings, Gouache, and ceramics. He has been listed in Art in America Annual in both 1985 an 1999-2000.[1] He is also listed on professional websites.[2] His theme is often mythological at times sharp social commentary. He did a series of large illustrations for John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim Progress which are in a private collection. He also made handmade books which are also privately owned. With encouragement from Yeats scholar, George Mills Harper in 1989 he interpreted Yeats’ 28 phases from his book A Vision. Mr. Seijas continues to paint. His latest work is a deeper exploration of the spiritual nature of man and the potential for self-actualization.
References Art in America Annual, 1985. Art in America Vol. 87, No. 8 August 1999 Annual 1999-2000.