Bio
Jasper Wilde is a trans nonbinary self taught abstract artist who uses colors and layers to heal their psychic being by giving themselves the freedom to express gesturally. Raised to repress self expression as a child brainwashed in an extreme Evangelical Christian family, their work is a rejection of emotional constraint. Their art manifests their true nature, which is the collective concept of what’s best for all of us is also best for me.
Driven to suicidal ideation in 2020 due to a relationship betrayal, emotional abuse at work, and an ever-grimmer political climate, painting became the only way for Wilde to find solace as a means of coping with the overwhelming feelings of confusion and heartbreak they were buried in. The canvas became an emotional portal to bring pain, anger and loneliness where movement met pure Light Energy to transform Wilde into feeling love again.
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
