Shardaya Jones
Atlanta, Georgia
As a woman of faith, Shardaya creates abstract paintings drawn from spirituality and the experience color & form create.
Message
As a woman of faith, Shardaya creates abstract paintings drawn from spirituality and the experience color & form create. Rooted in the idea of a Creator and the reflection of transcendence, she creates visual experiences to impact lives, “one canvas at a time.”
Shardaya Jones is an African American artist born and raised in Rand, West Virginia. Based in Atlanta, GA, her artistic practice continues to expand the perimeters of arts & culture. Shardaya received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Painting with a minor in Art History from the University of West Georgia in Carrollton, GA. Currently, she is completing her thesis for her Master of Fine Arts degree at the Savannah College of Art & Design in Atlanta, GA. In addition to her fine art career, Shardaya is the CEO & Founder of her graphic design agency, SM Studio. Jones has exhibited nationally & virtually, including shows at the Bobick Gallery in Carrollton, GA, Savannah College of Art & Design in Atlanta, GA, Rek Gallery in Tucker, GA, and Black Girls Who Paint in Washington, D.C. Shardaya had the privilege to be interviewed for her creative practice by VoyageATL magazine in 2022. She was curated to paint live for various organizations and religious institutions across the Metro Atlanta area, including Embassy City Church, New Life Cathedral IFC, and Paint on Purpose, Inc. Influenced by the work of Mark Rothko and Joan Mitchell, Shardaya sees color as a spiritual agent.
Statement
Drawn from my dreamscapes and religious journey, my work explores spiritual experiences emerging through color, form, and light. My paintings communicate an ethereal space between the natural and the supernatural. These supernatural dream spaces challenge the human psyche by opening a window to the metaphysical world through abstract expressionism. My works take on a cloud-like dream nature.
I consider my practice to be a spiritual language of creating in which I evolve the religious experience beyond the four walls of the church. My work explores themes of Christianity, light, redemption, hope, joy, and grace. My work encounters the beauty & chaos of life while maintaining light & peace through the gradients of color. Being spiritually present in the process is just as necessary in its meaning as the final experience in my work. Through my use of gestural color fields, my work invites the viewer into an otherwordly meditative space. These windows to the mind become portals to your spirit. Rooted in the idea of a Creator and the reflection of transcendence, I create visual experiences to impact lives, “one canvas at a time.” Influenced by the work of Mark Rothko, Sam Gilliam, and Joan Mitchell, I see color as a spiritual agent.