Jovana Millay was born in New York City and studied at the Rhode Island School of Design before earning her BFA from Wheaton College.

The history of art, particularly postwar abstraction, serves as a vital foundation for Millay’s practice. Rather than breaking from the legacies of Hard-edge painting, Color Field painting and Minimalism, she seeks to extend them. Her work consistently explores the formal and emotional possibilities beyond figuration, capturing a magnetic balance between stillness and perpetual flux.

Initially drawn to gestural energy, Millay’s approach has evolved toward quiet contemplation. A pivotal moment in this transition occurred through her search for new materials. By incorporating wood and ceramic alongside traditional canvases, she transformed the structure of her work while maintaining its complexity.

Millay's art is deliberate and precise, yet it is counterbalanced by a sensuality that permeates each piece. Beneath every distilled composition lies the nuanced intersection of novel materials, organic elements, and man-made components. The cumulative effect brings the paintings into the realm of sculpture, a space she continues to explore.

Jovana Millay lives and works in Los Angeles.