Bio
Jasper Wilde (they/them) is a self-taught non-binary abstract painter and educator based in San Francisco. As a studio artist and Artist Representative of the Board of Directors at Root Division, their vibrant, dynamic artwork channels experiences of a trans person navigating late-stage capitalism. They use storytelling and their authenticity to share their art online and have led workshops at SFMOMA, Marin Museum of Contemporary Art, ArtSpan, Root Division, Ruth's Table and Oakland Art Murmur. Their work has been exhibited at SFMOMA, Superfine Art Fair, Startup Art Fair, Heron Arts Gallery, Blue Line Art Gallery, Rosebud Gallery, Root Division, SOMArts, and Ruth’s Table.
Wilde’s work critiques the capitalist system by exploring the complexities of living as a working-class person with limited individual freedom and creativity because of systemic oppression. Their powerful marks convey the sense of being trapped in a society where conformity is necessary for survival, and the bright colors represent the fake positivity one is expected to have at work despite being required to spend so much time there to simply not starve and avoid getting evicted. Wilde’s work is a meditation of their own struggles, but also a reflection on mutual personal experiences that affect us all.
Painting is my salve, my way of transforming grief into vibrant energy. When the injustices of our oppressive society threaten to overwhelm, when the traumas faced for being trans or working-class become too much to bear, I turn to the canvas as an emotional portal. With each loaded brushstroke, I alchemize pain, anger and loneliness into vivid displays of passion and vulnerability. Walking in Golden Gate Park, I'm mesmerized by the seasonal transitions - the indigo hazy flowers blossoming into vibrant chartreuse buds, the earth awakening from winter into an explosion of new life. This perpetual cycle of death and rebirth, moments of dormancy giving way to passionate flames, is what draws me again and again to create. I paint to express the depths of my soul, the emotions and experiences that can't find voice in the systems designed to control us. My transness is uncontainable, just as my dedication to solidarity and communal values flows eternal. Art becomes essential for healing when pushing against the injustices can cost us our jobs, homes, or lives. While the viewer may be struck by the vibrant colors and textural bliss, I'm contemplating themes of service work, trans existence, drag silhouettes, and awakening higher dimensions within myself. While my paintings feel fresh and agile, time itself is a key ingredient. Canvases languish in my studio for months at a time, akin to my dissociation when circumstances overwhelm me. The canvas is like a mirror, vulnerability takes courage to accept. Space, itself, is the ingredient in my paintings that lets me convey depth of feeling. The act of painting allows me to bring my whole self forward. I am an abstract artist who uses layers of color and energetic gestures to heal my psychic being by giving myself the freedom to express authentically. The canvas becomes a space where movement meets pure Light Energy, transforming me into being fully Love again.
Selected Work
