Henri Matisse
Creativity Takes Courage
‘‘I am a practising artist and have been producing artworks, series of abstract expressionist acrylic on canvas paintings over the past 20 years, as well many collaged surrealist explorations, biro and pencil work studies.
This has been since my Steiner education days in the early 2000s, influenced by my upbringing in rural Suffolk and on return to London to complete my arts training at Camberwell, Central St Martins & Wimbledon College of Arts, University of the Arts London.
And ever since in my free time, in moments of self expression, as a form of healing, a way to communicate my thoughts and feelings I have made paintings, collages, and have continued to produce works’’
My early years began at St Pauls Steiner School where I was taught the key principles and educated under the influence of Rudolf Steiner’s teachings. Rudolf Steiner's theory of education emphasises the importance of learning through play and hands-on experience, particularly in the first 7 years of education.
This was extremely influential to my creative life in my early forming years, experiencing the richness of childhood in a holistic manner, academically, spiritually, emotionally and physically. I had kinder harp / lyre lessons, singing, drawing, painting, clay work, working with watercolour paper and beeswax crayons to woodwork, creating forms based on nature, including hand and needlework practice.
‘‘Work which recognised the integrated nature of the mind, body and spirit.’’
Spending a period of my life in rural Suffolk I continued my academic education, as well as pursuing my visual art work.
I was a high performing art pupil in my countryside village school, introverted by nature and using it as a space of comfort and confidence as a mixed heritage young girl growing up in the beautiful countryside but in a predominantly white space. Art was my escape.
I have continued to develop my practice in my spare time, bringing all aspects of my creative work both in life and in my freelancing projects.’’
Collaborations with visual artists have included cross collaborations with visual artist Clara Arden, in Lagos, Nigeria.
‘Agnes’ 1 & 2, 2020.
Jasmine’s series ‘Agnes’ 2020 was inspired by her grandmother Agnes Kuti (Jasmine’s Nigerian name) incorporating her British-Nigerian heritage, exploring themes of African Diaspora, Female Ancestry and Global Displacement. She continues to paint small and large scale canvases in her spare time, exploring themes of Womanhood, Racial Equality, Empowerment, Surrealism & Afrofuturism and has exhibited in likes of art house cinema Genesis in East London alongside Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the year contestant Sharon Adebisi, photographer Keleena Onyeaka, artist Lee-Roy ZoZo & London based Zimbabwean Fine artist Edy Mpisaunga, selected by Lauren Little, founder of Dark Yellow Dot.
Jasmine has been exploring working with her visual artwork, using mixed media collage and taking inspiration from Surrealism. This has been a developing style for her personal practice as an artist. Much of her development work combines fragmented imagery from magazines and historical photos, often containing abstraction with contrasting themes including human connection, displacement, perceptions and identity.
During Black History Month, October 2020, Jasmine was one of five selected artists to help celebrate Black excellence in creativity. Dark Yellow Dot’s exhibition joined up with the makers of A Dark Mind, a film which screened their documentary at Genesis Cinema during the same month as Inside My DNA.
‘Agnes 1 & 2 mixed media collage on canvas board’
“This piece is exploring my own identity and disconnection from my Nigerian heritage. I have used this as a process of self-discovery and investigation of my African female ancestry, specifically my grandmother, Agnes Kuti, who died 1997 - the year I was born. Having never been to Nigeria or met any of my Nigerian family, it has created a gap in my own sense of self and I have made this work to explore these themes”.
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Dark Yellow Dot
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Genesis Cinema
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St Pauls Steiner School
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ArtHouse Jersey