Original Art by John Obafemi Jones

John Obafemi original art guides and breathes new life into our understanding of the past. His art engages the viewer to places that can unravel old perceptions and presents pathways for new possibilities and awareness for the present and the future.

He conveys a new and innovative language by using jazz of themes and icons and believes that music has a complementary relationship with the visual arts. Improvisational aspects of jazz allow great freedom to the musician.  Within the context of a free-flowing impromptu solo, there is structure. The improvised solo has its unique language, vocabulary, and grammar, yet it remains connected to the band. In jazz and the blues, no two solos are ever the same. It is within this context lies the aesthetic pulse of his works. He states, “I strive for the same emotional, expressive, and literal qualities found in jazz or the blues. It is this aspect of my art that gives it its voice and connects me emotionally and spiritually”.

His technique involves painting, drawing, and mark-making, and the use of colorful free-flowing lines. The process provides unlimited avenues of expression. From beginning to end, bringing various elements together to the point where a work of art is born is quite challenging yet magical and mysterious.