Parris Jaru (b. New York, 1973) has a rich cultural heritage stemming from his Jamaican, Blackfoot Nation, and Arawak Nation roots. His childhood in the vibrant coastal town of St. Ann’s Bay, Jamaica, significantly shaped his artistic vision, bringing vivid colors and imagery into his work. Jaru got his start working for Marvel Comics in the early 90’s. He opened his own jewelry company in 2000-2005, where he engaged with different materials (wood, stone, metals, pigments) for important clients in the fashion industry, funding his more classical artistic training.
Extensive travel in India further deepened his creative practice, infusing his paintings with a sensibility toward natural, plant-based pigments that he hand-grinds with oils. An experienced muralist, Jaru has often created pieces for communities he visits in his travels, as is shown in two documentaries centered on him (one received an Emmy nomination in 2016). He synthesizes these diverse cultural influences into a unique artistic style, frequently shifting between figurative and abstract expression in an intentionally faux-naïve approach. He is based in Brooklyn, NY.
Looking at Jaru’s work, one is reminded of the parietal wall paintings of Lascaux. Though his expressive language is distinctly a mix of Modernist and Pop, one cannot but feel the connection it bears, in the juxtaposition of lines and color, and in the distortion of perspective and proportion, to that of the mythical bison and cerf running across cave walls in Dordogne. Just as those figures have had to adapt themselves to the rock face on which they rest, Jaru’s lines and planes are characterized by the deep color and patina of the natural pigments that he mixes himself, having experimented for years to give them the exact quality he searched to express . No matter how abstract the composition he creates, it seems as if he is trying to evoke the myths and stories, modern and ancient, that lie within our depths.
I blend plant-based pigments like turmeric and hibiscus to evoke nature's perfection, adding depth and texture, while inviting viewers to connect emotionally with my abstract expressions.
