Resonator is proud to present Candied Garden, an exhibition by OKC artist Jasmine Jones.
Jasmine Jones is a multidisciplinary artist and maker from Midwest City, Oklahoma. She grew up deeply interested in dance, music, and visual arts, having opportunities to learn in each. Jasmine dove into the OKC art community while studying at Rose State College, where she graduated with an Associate in Arts in 2016. She then went on to obtain a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art from the University of Oklahoma in 2018. Today, she traverses through various ideas and materials – often working with memory and play while utilizing 2D and 3D whimsy. Jasmine is a member of Art Group and Factory Obscura. She also regularly works with the Arts Council Oklahoma City. Both solo and collaboratively, Jasmine creates to show that art can be interactive, immersive, invigorating, and so much more – helping people find curiosity or beauty striking at any moment.
Artist’s Statement
Candied Garden is a project sparked from place, nostalgia and sweetness that’s composed of paintings, photos, and interactive elements. For almost a decade, I’ve explored comfort and its link with my upbringing. I’ve recreated objects and environments that have brought me and my audience so much comfort and joy over the past several years, focusing on iconic memorabilia (Bop Its, Ring Pops, etc.) from a shared youth. Yet, as I grow older , I find it harder to locate those warm feelings through these memorabilia. Through my adult lens, I feel ashamed and sad in realizing that while young Jasmine loved those childhood items, she was al so overly concerned with her weight and her relationship with sugar. However , I push on with my work. I’m creating narratives that bridge fantasy to reality as I process and rewrite my youth. I’m able to recognize that the purity in these iconic objects create a special bond to those around me, causing their faces to light up from unique recovered memories when they view my work. Candied Garden is a collection of those nostalgic delights - paired with my own bittersweet and dissociative symbolisms. I want those that witness this project to feel young, innocent, and transported as they themselves shed guilt and find their comfort in the fun, dreamy objects of childhood - even tasting their own joy-based sweetness.
Special note: I’ve perpetually processed many things through the formation of this show. One big part of that processing revolved around my constant want for perfection and torturing myself to achieve it. Alongside my childhood and connection to my body, Candied Garden is a product of my vulnerability within my imperfection. Enjoy!
Opening Reception: February 13 from 6:00 to 9:00 | Exhibition Dates: Feb 13 - 26 | Gallery open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 1:00 - 4:00, or by appointment at resonator.ok@gmail.com