Jonas Wood, born in 1977 in Boston, Massachusetts, is a prominent American contemporary artist known for his vibrant and graphic paintings that merge personal imagery with art historical references. His works often depict domestic interiors, plants, sports scenes, and everyday objects, reimagining the three-dimensional world through bold colors and flat lines. By challenging conventional notions of scale and perspective, Wood has established a distinctive style that is both exuberant and meticulous.
Wood's artistic journey was profoundly influenced by his grandfather's art collection, which featured works by iconic artists such as Francis Bacon, Alexander Calder, and Andy Warhol. This early exposure to a range of artistic styles helped shape his unique approach to painting. After earning a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Washington, Wood moved to Los Angeles in 2003, where he continues to live and work.
Throughout his career, Wood has developed a visual language characterized by intricate patterns and dynamic compositions. His paintings often incorporate recurring themes of family, plants, and interior spaces, presented in a way that emphasizes color and texture. These elements are especially evident in his recent works, which explore the interplay between color, pattern, and space.
Wood's art has been widely exhibited in galleries and museums around the world. His works are included in the permanent collections of prestigious institutions such as The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles, and the Saatchi Gallery in London. In addition to critical acclaim, his paintings have achieved remarkable success in the art market, with pieces like Two Tables with Floral Pattern (2013) selling for $6.5 million at auction.
In October 2024, Wood presented a new series of paintings at Gagosian's London gallery. This exhibition highlighted his ongoing exploration of recurring themes, showcasing his mastery in merging familiar subjects with innovative compositions. His studio practice is closely tied to his personal life; he shares a creative space with his wife, ceramicist Shio Kusaka, whose works often appear in his still-life paintings. Their collaborative environment fosters a dynamic intersection between art and life.
Jonas Wood's innovative approach and distinctive style have made him a significant figure in contemporary art. By reinterpreting everyday scenes and objects, he offers fresh perspectives on the ordinary, solidifying his place as one of the most influential artists of his generation.
The first monograph on a rising star who is one of contemporary art's most celebrated painters
Los Angeles-based artist Jonas Wood creates vivid images, where space and everyday life are rendered with compressed perspective in bold graphic hues.
This monograph - the first on the artist's work - brings together his most significant paintings and drawings. In doing so, it offers a unique insight into the vast array of his sources, which include family photographs, found imagery, baseball cards, and other people's art, including the ceramics of his wife, the artist Shio Kusaka.
With contributions by curator and writer Helen Molesworth, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York Ian Alteveer, and a conversation between Wood and fellow Los Angeles-based artist Mark Grotjahn.
