Jonas Wood’s art offers a vibrant glimpse into the everyday, turning the mundane into something extraordinary. Since his move to Los Angeles in 2003, Wood has transformed the domestic landscape, focusing on the flora, interiors, and personal spaces that shape his life. His signature works—often centered around houseplants—reflect the essence of Southern California’s natural beauty, capturing not just the plants themselves, but also the broader cultural and environmental identity of LA.

The Everyday, Elevated

Wood’s art is a celebration of the ordinary. Drawing inspiration from his environment—both at home and in his studio—he explores domestic scenes and objects, using them as platforms to delve into abstraction, color, and form. Much like his predecessors, including Paul Cézanne, Henri Matisse, and David Hockney, Wood reinterprets still-life painting by infusing it with a fresh, dynamic energy that brings new life to familiar settings.

His works, such as The Basketball Court (2015) and Still Life with Blue Flowers (2017), elevate everyday subjects—be it a flowerpot, a sports scene, or a simple plant—into complex, layered compositions. Through playful perspectives and abstract forms, Wood invites viewers to see these objects in ways they might not have before, transforming the mundane into something rich with color and personality.

You could call [my work] a visual diary or even a personal history. I’m not going to paint something that doesn’t have anything to do with me. Of all of the possible things I could paint, the thing that interests me is something that I can get close enough to in order to paint it honestly

Jonas Wood

Bold Color, Geometric Precision

A master of color and geometry, Wood’s style is immediately recognizable for its use of vivid hues, bold patterns, and geometric shapes. The artist’s keen eye for composition and texture evokes the look of textiles, ceramics, and other domestic materials, creating a visual dialogue between different artistic traditions and everyday life. His works often feel like windows into domesticity, inviting the viewer to step into a world of form, texture, and layered meaning.

Wood’s fascination with plants plays a significant role in his approach to color and texture. For Wood, houseplants are more than botanical subjects—they are catalysts for experimentation, allowing him to explore themes of abstraction and visual rhythm. Plants in his works become symbolic of growth and transformation, a visual metaphor for his ongoing exploration of the intersections between art, life, and environment.

Wood’s fascination with plants plays a significant role in his approach to color and texture. For Wood, houseplants are more than botanical subjects—they are catalysts for experimentation, allowing him to explore themes of abstraction and visual rhythm. Plants in his works become symbolic of growth and transformation, a visual metaphor for his ongoing exploration of the intersections between art, life, and environment.

Influences and Personal Narrative

Born in Boston, Wood’s early exposure to his grandfather’s art collection—featuring works by iconic artists such as Francis Bacon, Robert Motherwell, and Andy Warhol—shaped his understanding of art as a vehicle for personal expression. His academic path, initially focused on psychology, then studio art at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, later continued with an MFA from the University of Washington, Seattle. These formative years laid the groundwork for the artist’s unique approach, which blends art historical references with personal imagery.

Wood’s work is deeply autobiographical, often described as a “visual diary” that reflects his personal history and the people and objects that surround him. He states, “I’m not going to paint something that doesn’t have anything to do with me,” emphasizing his commitment to painting the things that are closest to his heart. This intimate connection to his subject matter is evident in his paintings, which are filled with personal significance—whether depicting his family, his home, or the plants that fill his life.

Collaborations and Expanding Horizons

In his career, Wood has also embraced collaboration, working closely with his wife, artist Shio Kusaka, who is known for her ceramic works. Their shared studio and intertwined artistic practices often result in mutual influences, with Kusaka’s ceramic vessels making their way into Wood’s paintings. The couple’s creative partnership is exemplified in exhibitions like Blackwelder (2015) and their first collaborative museum show at the Museum Voorlinden in the Netherlands (2017). Together, they create a unique fusion of art and domestic life, blurring the lines between personal and public spaces.

Wood’s work has been exhibited in major museums and galleries worldwide, including the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, the New Museum in New York, and the Dallas Museum of Art. His first major survey show in 2019 brought together a stunning array of works, showcasing his evolution as one of contemporary art’s leading voices.

Jonas Wood’s art invites us to pause and reconsider the beauty of the everyday. Through his vibrant, geometric compositions, he transforms simple objects like houseplants, sports equipment, and domestic interiors into complex, engaging visual narratives. His works celebrate the ordinary, turning it into something extraordinary. By reimagining the world around him, Wood encourages us to do the same, inspiring us to find beauty in the seemingly mundane and to see the world with new eyes. 🌿✨