In the Studio: with JP Terlizzi

JP Terlizzi ( American, b. 1962 ) is a New York City metro-based photographer who weaves memory, material, and metaphor into deeply personal explorations of family, legacy, and identity. His work reflects a curiosity about how the past and present continually shape and enliven one another, influencing the ways we understand ourselves. Drawing on his own history and lived experience, JP often turns to objects, rituals, and storytelling to navigate these connections. His photographs balance intimacy with universality, inviting viewers to reflect on their own relationships, traditions, and sense of belonging.

This artist profile, captured at Terlizzi's home studio in by the Museum's Digital Content Strategist, Alex Pavljuk, offers a glimpse into the physical process behind his art and the structured whimsy and chaos that becomes his fully realized works of art.

"JP Terlizzi: Remembering Eden," is on view at MAM from November 20, 2025—June 28, 2026.

The exhibition presents a series of contemporary still-life photographs by New Jersey artist JP Terlizzi (b. 1962), exploring the intimate connection between memory, meaning, and beauty. Through thoughtful arrangements of food, flora, heirlooms, and textiles, JP considers how the objects we keep and the rituals we repeat become vessels for personal and collective histories. Each image exists in a space between joy and decay, comfort and uncertainty—inviting viewers to look beyond the surface, to “hear with their eyes,” and to witness how the familiar becomes tender, unexpected, and transformative. Rooted in domestic tradition and childhood memory, the work reflects on themes of belonging—how we gather, what we inherit, and the fragile ways memory endures through what we use, preserve, and share.

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Special thanks to—
JP Terlizzi
Frank J. Walter, III
Christine James
Gail Stavitsky
Osanna Urbay
Ira Wagner
Todd Caissie
Ellen Sander
Alex Pavljuk
Asif Iqbal
Emily Nso
& The Montclair Art Museum staff

The Montclair Art Museum collects, exhibits, preserves, and interprets American and Native American art, honoring the creative accomplishments of a diverse range of artists, past and present.

Montclair Art Museum was founded in 1914 as a public art institution with a significant collection of both historical and contemporary Native work from across North America. The collection remains one of the foremost and dynamic collections of Native art in the Northeast, with new works added regularly.

Learn more about our Museum and mission by visiting us at,
https://www.montclairartmuseum.org

See more of Tom Nussbaum's work & show by visiting,
https://www.montclairartmuseum.org/ex...