sOjourns 2024/2025

jOnezi

Multi-Media Artist

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Multi-media jOnezi's
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AUSTRALIA
2018-2019

Jimmy Cummins IBraineater

Jimmy Cummins/IBraineater

Personal Art Collection

Mexico,Guatemala, Beliz 2019-2020 Covid-19

CUBA

Panama Costa Rica Nicaragua

Salt Spring Island BC

2015-2016

Y2K

MIDDLE EAST

1999-2001

'Y2K @ the Pyramids of Giza'

Cairo, Egypt

1999/2000

SOUTH AMERICA

2014-2015

Personal Art Collection of Jimmy's Amazing Art jOnezi's

India,Budda's Mahabodhi Temple, Varanasi, Rishikesh, New Delhi, Rajgir

cApe aNtelope

wood & glitter

LED lights

28" x 8" x 3"

2023

'bUrning mAn'

'Radical Ritual'

Black Rock Desert

Nevada

2017

sOjourns

'Spot Light on major endeavors & Images'

sOjourns

Timeline

Synopsis genertated by Chat GPT AI

November, 2024

Here’s a more detailed look at jOnezi’s timeline of world adventures and the related art he created during these periods. His work spans multiple mediums, often blending photography, painting, sculpture, and assemblage, reflecting his journeys and diverse cultural encounters.

Additional important note as it relates to jOnezi's synchronicity/serendipity in life:

BC Place, Vancouver, July 6,1989

CFL BC Lions vs Toronto Argonauts game:

Football Hand held field camera operator-upgraded to take unavailable Dale Johansens place

Directed by Paul Brettell to showcase sponsor,Labatts Blue (Beer) cheering squad.

Locates a pretty blonde who he gestures to stand up (she's wearing the sponsor's Labatts Blue Zone top)

Jumbotron Director, Paul Brettell switches to David Jones camera framing the Labatts Blue Zone participant.

The crowd goes wild!

Pamela Anderson

has arrived...and the rest is history.

1.Wreck Beach, Vancouver

1995-1997

'wReck bEach'

Vancouver,BC

Tribal Series

Details:This early lens-based project saw jOnezi experimenting with surreal compositions by capturing figures donning tribal masks on Vancouver’s iconic nude beach. His use of B&W infrared film, followed by hand-coloring the prints, adds a layer of dreamlike mysticism to the subjects and scenery.

• Significance: It marked the beginning of jOnezi’s blending of human form with elements of nature and symbolism, themes he continued to explore in later works.

2. biG ciTy fReaks Documentary

1998-1999

DOMINA aka
‘biG ciTy fReaks’

Details: jOnezi produced and directed this documentary on Vancouver’s fetish scene during the late 1990s. The film, raw and provocative, captures the underground world of fetishism and alternative culture in Vancouver.

• Significance: This documentary marked his transition into filmmaking, where his work explored societal taboos and identity within subcultures.

3. Y2K Middle East Adventure

2000

Ceilings of Petra

(Photographs and Abstract Paintings)

Details: During his Y2K trip, jOnezi visited Egypt and Jordan. Highlights include attending Jean-Michel Jarre’s “12 Dreams of the Sun” concert at the pyramids of Giza. His exploration of Petra in Jordan inspired his Ceilings of Petra series, in which he reinterpreted the patterns found in the ancient Nabatean city’s stone mausoleums.

Significance: This trip solidified his fascination with ancient cultures, spirituality, and large-scale monuments, which continues to surface in his artistic interpretations of time and history.

4.Istanbul, Turkey

2000-2001

Art Project: 'Love Across the Bosphorus'

Details: While living in Istanbul, jOnezi’s personal life became intertwined with his art, as he married Mutlu Karadag. His work during this period often reflected themes of cross-cultural romance and life along the Bosphorus Strait, a metaphor for connection and division.

Significance: This period enriched his understanding of Eastern and Western cultural fusion, which influenced his lens-based and painted works.

5. INDIA

2010

'gUru qUest'

(Director of Photography and Still Photographer)

Details: On this journey, jOnezi worked with Vancouver producer Jason Dobmier, documenting spiritual quests across India. This period deepened his exploration of spirituality, and his photography captured the vibrant landscapes, religious rituals, and philosophical aspects of Indian culture.

• Significance: The experience in India reignited his focus on the divine and the human search for meaning, themes that recur in his later exhibitions.

6.South America

2014-2015

Art Exploration: 6-8 countries including Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia

Details: During his time in South America, jOnezi immersed himself in street art in Valparaíso, explored the surreal beauty of the Salar de Uyuni salt flats, and captured the ruins of Machu Picchu. His visit to Colombia’s La Candelaria and the Escobar Narco tours in Medellín provided gritty urban backdrops for his work.

Significance: This journey introduced him to new dimensions of urban art and indigenous cultures, which influenced his use of texture and color in his abstract pieces.

7.Central America & the Caribbean

2015-2016

Cuba, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua

Details: jOnezi’s travels here were characterized by encounters with vibrant street cultures, natural wonders, and political history. His photography often captured close encounters with volcanoes, and his art took on more organic, fluid forms inspired by nature’s volatility.

8.Southeast Asia and Oceania

2016-2017

Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Bali, Philippines

Details: As jOnezi explored Southeast Asia, his work reflected an interest in Buddhist philosophy, as seen in the tranquil, spiritual aura of his photography and paintings. In Bali, his focus shifted toward capturing the island’s lush landscapes and traditional craftsmanship, influencing his mobile art series, Terminal City Rust.

Significance: This period reinforced his exploration of spiritual and natural themes, which became recurring motifs in his later exhibitions.

9.AFRICA

2017-2019

Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Mozambique, South Africa

Details: jOnezi’s African travels were filled with intense experiences, such as a molar extraction in Mozambique and a dangerous shark dive in South Africa. His art from this period reflected the raw beauty and challenges of the continent, from portraits of mountain gorillas in Uganda to the vast savanas of Kruger Park in South Africa.

• Significance: These experiences added a tactile, primal quality to his assemblage work and kinetic sculptures.

10. MEXICO

2019-2020, 2022

Art Projects: Mexico, Grim Reaper’s Pre-COVID (Photography)

Details: During his time in Mexico, jOnezi was there during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. His photographs from this time capture the eerie quietness of major urban centers and the looming sense of change. His works also focus on the colorful street art and rich textures of Mexican markets and ruins.

Significance: This period led him to reflect on isolation, fear, and resilience, elements that would later surface in his assemblage work like In Case of an Art Emergency.

11. Jamaica, Kenya, Zanzibar

2020-2021

Art Exploration: Continued travels in East Africa and the Caribbean

Details: jOnezi spent time reconnecting with nature and local communities, deepening his understanding of African and Caribbean life. His photography captured moments of stillness and reflection, while his art continued to evolve in complexity.

• Significance: This phase is notable for his deepening relationship with Mary Kimani, which influences his intimate and contemplative work.

12. South Africa & Mid Southern Africa

2021-2022

Art Exploration: Cape Town, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Botswana, Zanzibar Tz.

Details: From safaris to the sweeping deserts of Namibia, jOnezi captured the rugged beauty of Southern Africa. His art during this period reflected a fascination with wide, open spaces and survival in harsh conditions, using sand and raw materials to emulate the African landscape.

• Significance: This exploration led to abstract works emphasizing texture and earthiness, as seen in his sand-infused paintings.

13. dReamings

2023

Art Project: Inspired by Pre-literate Australian Aboriginal Art

Details: After experiencing Aboriginal Dreamtime paintings during his travels, jOnezi produced a series of works titled ‘dReamings,’ which incorporate bright, swirling patterns, and organic forms.

• Significance: This project reflects his ongoing interest in ancient cultures and their spiritual significance, continuing a theme that has run through his work since his Y2K journey.

14. sOjourns

a Synergistic Retrospective

2024

Details: jOnezi’s retrospective exhibition in Vancouver encapsulates his life’s work, with pieces drawn from his decades of travel and exploration. sOjourns is a testament to his passion for adventure and his ability to capture the essence of the places and people he’s encountered.

• Significance: The exhibition showcases his development as an artist and traveler, featuring works from across continents and artistic disciplines.

In Summary

Throughout his global adventures, jOnezi’s art has remained a dynamic blend of personal experience, cultural exploration, and spiritual inquiry. His work has evolved from early surreal photographs to complex assemblages and abstract paintings, all while retaining a deep connection to the landscapes, people, and ideas he encounters. His adventurous spirit and artistic versatility make him a unique figure in Vancouver’s contemporary art scene.

hEarts of aFrica

wood & glitter
LED lights

19" x 10" x 4"

2023