Natisa Jones
To begin, candour is fundamental. To reconcile, curation is key.
— Natisa Jones
Detail of I Had Such an Amazing List
It is hard to pinpoint a specific description of Natisa’s blend of abractive figurism, perhaps that is because it is hard to accurately describe the human condition at any given time. Natisa’s practice comes from a place of personal documentation, where (as she puts it) “social and cultural disconnections, misunderstandings, lessons in longing and belonging, gaps too far and wide between you and I, disorienting ripples: where I fail to recognize where you end, and I begin; become the stimulus of everything.” In practice, Natisa’s figures shift around the canvas with layered backgrounds, organic symbols, and text becoming the ever-changing world around them. Her approach to empathetic vulnerability through her work becomes a call to action for the viewer - how might we find connection and become more open with each other?
I Had Such an Amazing List was the result of her reflection on transitional spaces, the disconnection that came with being in a transitory state but also needs and attempts to connect. Having lived between Bali, Jakarta, and Amsterdam for about four years and moving frequently between, the title itself references how she uses lists as a way to navigate each one of those places. Being in constant transition, she found that her lists had to change to reflect her priorities at the moment and place. With this comes constant questioning and evaluation of her values and goals. Although this brings anxiety to her and things are not always working out the way she intended, she felt that her lists had been a compass for her life to navigate changes. In a time where the world is forced to lay bare their differing values and pause all plans, the work takes on an almost prophetically didactic tone in 2020. How will we collectively choose to prioritize and move forward in the face of this transitional state we are experiencing?
Detail of I Had Such an Amazing List
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