Frank Hyder: The Janis Project

Frank Hyder, who splits his time between Philadelphia and Miami, has become known for working across a variety of media. Hyder has created several public art works, including three murals through the City of Philadelphia’s Mural Arts Program: Hanging Garden of I-95, Honey’s Garden, and Bell’s Pond.

Hyder’s fascination with the public sphere has manifested in a multimedia experience titled The Janis Project. Begun in 2015 and still continuing today, Hyder has created over a dozen large-scale, double-faced inflatable sculptures of heads. Hyder states of The Janis Project that each head, “which at once references Moai of Easter Island, Olmec heads and, the ancient Roman god of new endeavors, at the same time has its roots in street art and inflatable toys…Janis carries a message of equality and good will and dares to step out of the normal world of Art museums or Art Galleries to be among us. Made of resilient nylon and paint, Janis has found a place to make us all consider issues with a smile that often divide us.”

Through Oceania Cruise Line’s Artist in Residence program, Janis traveled the entire coast of Europe form Istanbul to St. Petersburg, including the British Isles. The Janis Project continues to travel the world with its growing number of sculptures and will land at the Michener in November of 2018. The Museum will play host to several Janis sculptures as well as a selection of watercolors made during and in response to Hyder’s journey around the world with his sculptures.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website