JOHN OBAFEMI JONES
To represent, commemorate, and reinterpret the multi-dimensional culture of Afro-Atlantic people through various creative expressions.
I value creative persistence and the courage needed to be creative in a constantly changing environment. Life is full of problems and obstacles, which offer doorways to new opportunities. Furthermore, I value the fact that my creativity communicates who I am. I believe my work honors my histories and myths and gives meaning to the world and myself.
Historically, the culture of Afro-Atlantic peoples has used music and dance to continually represent and reinvent their multiple bases of identity spiritually, physically, emotionally, and intellectually. Therefore, I frequently use music and dance themes and icons. Jazz and Bamboula dance provide excellent back-story and aesthetic pulse for my work due to their emotional, expressive, and literal qualities.
ARTIST PORTFOLIO
My style combines the mediums, technique, and discarded materials. I like the concept of merging painting with drawing. Colorful squiggly lines and marks are key visual elements in my work and provide pathways for expressionistic mixed media paintings. From beginning to end, the process of bringing shapes, lines, and colors together to the point where a work of art is born is quite challenging yet magical and mysterious.