Meet the Artist: Judy Takacs
By Kelli Comer
There are many unsung female heroes in the world who deserve recognition.
Local artist Judy Takács is aiming to honor these women in her life through her stunning portrait series, Chicks with Balls.
Almost 10 years ago, she was inspired by all the various issues that her strong, smart, and courageous female friends and family were going through.
“These women were all managing complex problems—cancer, divorce, widowhood, emotional health, children’s issues, aging parents, demanding careers, heartbreaking betrayals, death of loved ones and devastating secrets—with incredible devotion, bravery and discretion,” Judy explains.
“I wanted to honor what ordinary women do every day, publicly and privately, to manage the lives of those they love. I named the project, Chicks with Balls: Judy Takács paints unsung female heroes.”
As a lifelong figure painter, Judy decided to make the project fun for her to paint.
“Flesh, to me, is always more fun to paint than clothing, and I wanted the project to have a head-turning element of fun, too,” smiles Judy.
“So, I asked the women to choose balls to symbolize their strengths and struggles, and then to pose topless with the balls for coverage and modesty. The balls as metaphors for what we women do are plentiful—juggling, balancing, rolling with it, running with it, balls in the air.”
Judy’s livelihood is also her passion. She is a graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Art with a bachelor of fine arts degree in illustration and portrait painting. She worked as a professional graphic designer and illustrator for many years. As life situations changed and she started a family, Judy transitioned from the deadline-driven commercial art world to a full-time professional fine artist.
Judy writes a corresponding blog post that features the story behind each of her Chicks with Balls paintings, at chickswithballsjudytakacs.blogspot.com.
“Back when I began the Chicks with Balls series, each painting began with a woman who inspired me with her story of courage,” Judy notes.
“Many were my friends and family, but then, as the project gained momentum, women volunteered to pose because they saw ballsy qualities in themselves and felt a kinship with the project.”
The project is now almost 50 paintings strong and has traveled to solo shows in Ohio and Pennsylvania. In February 2020, the collection will be exhibited at the Zanesville Museum of Art in central Ohio, which will be Judy’s first solo museum show.
To reach Judy, you can email her at judytakacs@me.com. Visit her website at JudyTakacs.com to learn more about the artist and her work, how to find and follow her, and shop online.