ell

Studio, Chicago, IL
2026
ell is the practice of Jason Campbell, an artist, spatial designer, and researcher working across art, architecture, and material culture.
My work tends to materials, objects, and spaces [newly constructed, interiors, and installation], observing how everyday things hold history, how spaces shape behavior, and how care and attention function as a cultural, political, and spatial practice. Through collecting, making writing, and building, I represent the overlooked infrastructures that sustain our lives and the possibilities that emerge when we pay closer attention.
The work moves between my studio, your site, and institution, bridging creative practice and built environment, with a commitment to material stewardship, and imaginative futures.
About
A PRACTICE AT THE INTERSECTIONS OF IDEA, MATERIAL, AND SPACE.

Workshop, Chicago, IL
2026

BACKGROUND
I've exhibited in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Cincinnati, and Chicago having recently exhibited at The Design Museum of Chicago and the Chicago Cultural Center. I'm a 2025 Graham Foundation grant awardee and a 2024 Building Design + Construction 40 under 40 honoree. I hold a Master of Architecture from UC Berkeley and a B.S. in Architecture from the University at Buffalo. I have worked in architectural practice for 10+ years, taught at the undergraduate and graduate level, and operated ell.SF, a for profit art space in San Francisco. I currently live and work between Chicago and the Bay Area.
Featured Press
In Chicago, a Soft Architecture Biennial for Hard Times
Bloomberg, October 2025
What the Sixth Chicago Architecture Biennial Says About the Future of Design
Bloomberg Newsletter, October 2025
Arch Paper, October 2025
Architectural Record, October 2025
A SHIFT in the art of architecture at the 2025 Chicago Architecture Biennial
STIRworld, October, 2025
Chicago Architecture Biennial returns with free exhibits celebrating global design
Fox32 Chicago, September 2025
Graham Foundation announces 2025 Grants to Individuals
Arch Paper, June 2025
Meet the 40 Under 40 class of 2024
Building Design + Construction, November 2024
Architect Magazine, August 2020