julia roland

For Julia Roland, the face is the focal point of her bold, attention-getting paintings.

The face, the Savannah painter believes, is the window to the essence of the soul.

Artist: The Georgia native was born and grew up in Savannah, going to art shows and galleries with her mom.

Roland attended Garrison: School of Visual and Performing Arts from third through eighth grade. And continued her art studies in high school at the Savannah Arts Academy.

At Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), Roland earned a BFA in painting in 2024.

Company/studio: Julia Roland or JR Art is based in Savannah. Roland usually works out of her home studio, but is now doing a three-month residency with the Cedar House Gallery in Savannah.

Art & materials: Oil and acrylic figurative and portraiture paintings on canvas, panel or hand-cut wood ($50 to $2,000). Themes include: Intersectionality, identity, expression, eye contact and bright colors.

“Intersectionality, a driving theme in my work, is prevalent in my everyday life, as I navigate America as a black queer woman from the South,” said Roland. “Through acknowledgment and confrontation, we can learn to reach an empathetic understanding of the multifaceted lives around us. “

Favorite tool: A mirror. “I use myself as a reference for a lot of my figures,” said Roland.

Inspirations:

People around her.
Faith Ringgold for her use of color and the intensity of her figures’ facial expressions.
Christina Quarles and how her work ties into her identity.

Special commission: Painted a mural on the front doors of a building that houses a Head Start preschool program. Bright and colorful, the mural consists of geometric shapes and floral patterns.

Recent project: Painted a floor to ceiling mural inside Kim’s Cafe in Savannah to honor the café’s late namesake Kimberly Holmes. Her portrait is surrounded by other local and national African American leaders.

Honors:

Peter Bullough Foundation Artist Residency in Winchester, VA. Fall 2025.
Jepson Center Art 912 Artist of 2026. Roland will paint a mural and have an exhibition at Telfair’s Jepson Center in Savannah. The Art 912 initiative is dedicated to raising the visibility of artists working in Savannah.

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