JONNI CHEATWOOD

Jonni Cheatwood is a Brazilian-American visual artist working across many different disciplines including painting, photography, graphic design and textile art. Cheatwood’s work describes the broad visual ideas stemming from still life, abstraction and minimalism, but his approach is a wonderful amalgam of his artistic disciplines in which veritable scraps of canvas are hand-sewn together before his idiosyncratic mark-making is thereafter applied to the newly created surface. Denim, mesh, burlap sacks, t-shirts, blankets, screen-prints, and even his father’s worn leather satchel have all made their way into his work at one time or another.

The graffiti-like scribbles, scratches and primitive colours of Cheatwood’s work is the controlled chaotic work of an erudite expressionist brought up on Saturday morning cartoons; suggesting deconstructed contour lines and bright, unforgiving primary colours often applied directly from the tube or oversize pastel. Beginning with direct marks, squiggles and doodles, Cheatwood reacts and builds up his compositions over time, working with the studio detritus that can build up as a result of working on the floor and from the physical nature of his process – allowing this to become part of his formation of the work.

The many references housed in his work – whether intentional or unintentional – seem like a patchwork of Cheatwood’s own autobiography – and the works come across like humorous albeit highly personalized recollections of his life at various times.

JONNI CHEATWOOD (b. 1986, Thousand Oaks, CA) lives and works in Los Angeles, California. He graduated from Arizona State University, Tempe, in 2011.

Solo exhibitions and fairs include: KIAF Seoul with OTI LA (2023); Taipei Dangdai (solo booth), with Makasiini Contemporary, Taiperi, Taiwan (2023); Toeing the Line, Gallery All, Shanghai, China (2023); An Unlikely Hero, Makasiini Contemporary, Turku, Finland (2022); The Juice Is Loose, OTI LA (2022); Expo Chicago (solo booth), Makasiini Contemporary, Chicago, USA (2021); It Might Be Me, Makasiini Contemporary, Turku, Finland (2021);  LIVE! From Therapy, BEERS London, London (2021); Fresh Out of Fiddles, Makasiini Contemporary, Turku, Finland (2020);Tyger Tyger, Urban Spree, Berlin, Germany (2019); That’s Dallas Baby, Artual Gallery, Beirut, Lebanon (2019); Dressed Up for the Letdown OTI, Hong Kong, (2018); She’s Heavy on the Razzmatazz, Makasiini Contemporary, Turku, Finland (2018); Volta Show (solo booth), BEERS London, New York, USA (2018); Same Hero, New Boots, TW Fine Art, Brisbane, Australia (2018) and; Strange to Meet You, Tappan, Los Angeles, USA (2017)

Group exhibitions include: Summer Show, Allouche Gallery, New York, USA (2024); Shadow Boxing, OTI, Los Angeles, USA (2023); About Art with Makasiini Contemporary, Turku, Finland (2023); The New Contemporaries Vol III, Residency Art Gallery, Los Angeles, USA (2023); Second Wind, Urban Spree, Berlin, Germany (2023); Reminisce, Hollis Taggart, New York, USA (2023); It’s Not Just A Portrait, Badr El Jundi, Marbella, Spain (2021); LA In Bloom, Werkartz, Los Angeles (2020); Rise & Shine, OTI, Hong Kong (2020); Rema Hort Mann Foundation, Nicodim Gallery, Los Angeles, USA (2020); Unlearn, Relearn… Repeat, TW Fine Art, Brisbane, Australia (2019); Seven Days Are Too Long, Mirus Gallery, Denver, USA (2019); The Atlantic Bridge, Galerie Kremers, Berlin, Germany (2019); Rema Hort Mann Foundation, Werkartz, Los Angeles, USA (2019); Office Hours, Main Museum, Los Angeles, USA (2018); View from the Cheap Seats, Chimento Contemporary, Los Angeles, USA (2018); Summer Salon, BEERS London, London, UK (2018); Rema Hort Mann Foundation, Nicodim Gallery, Los Angeles, USA (2018); Constructed, Saatchi Art, Santa Monica, USA (2018); The Urban Experience, Artual Gallery, Beirut, Lebanon (2018); FRESHAF, TW Fine Art, Brisbane, Australia (2017); Buy What You Love, Rema Hort Mann Foundation, New York, USA (2017); 75 Works on Paper, BEERS London (2017); Meat and Potatoes, Santa Fe Art Colony, Los Angeles, USA (2016); Concrete Matter & Liquefied Horizons, Garboushian Gallery, Beverly Hills, USA (2016); Grafforists, Torrance Art Museum, Torrance, USA (2016); Wielding Now, Tappan, Los Angeles, USA (2016) and Straight Up, Hooper Projects, Los Angeles, USA (2015)