Jarrett Key was born in Columbus, GA in 1990 and grew up in nearby Seale, AL. After graduating from Brookstone School, they earned a Bachelor's Degree in Public Policy and Theater Arts from Brown University and moved to New York City to continue their art. They are currently pursuing a Master's of Fine Arts in Painting at Rhode Island School of Design.
Jarrett Key captivatingly combines painting, dance, and music in their performance installation art. Key’s series of Hair Paintings pay tribute to their grandmother while referencing the pivotal role of family and home. During an interview with The Columbus Museum, Key remembered their grandmother saying, “Your hair is your strength. Don’t cut your hair.” Key decided to grow their hair out in preparation for the amount of endurance needed while continuing on the rigorous path of painting. Each Hair Painting involves straightening their hair with hot combs similar to their grandmother’s and buckets filled with black tempera paint for Key to dip their hair. The paintings that emerge are created while Key, dripping in paint, uses purposeful gestures accompanied by music their grandmother would enjoy. Key draws inspiration from their family’s history in the rural South, their upbringing there, and their life at present. While discovering, remembering, and using the objects and stories passed down through generations, their art frequently addresses socio-economic issues within the United States in their multi-disciplinary art. By blending personal-self with collective-whole experiences, Key’s work reflects jubilant resilience and optimism for the Black community.