Nneka Jones, a prolific activist at Tampa Bay I Love the Castle

Nneka Jones is an activist artist based in the Tampa Bay area. They are known for their embroidery and paintings and have received national recognition for their work. Jones recently completed a mural featuring Bianca Burrows in the Grand Central District of St. Petersburg as part of the SHINE Mural Festival.

‘Burg Born Murals is a brand new video series created in collaboration with Metro Inclusive Health and Trevor Burgess. This series will showcase the diverse palette of emerging artists here in the Sunshine City and provide background information not only on the breathtaking works of these artists, but also on the creator’s journey into the visual arts.

St. Petersburg is recognized as an open-air art gallery that is open to the public 24/7. You may have passed tons of pieces on your way to work or on a bike ride on the Pinellas Trail, but did you know how they got there? ‘Burg Born Murals is a storytelling series that will deepen your appreciation for the mammoths and wonderful works of your home while celebrating the creatives who made this city better.

Nneka Jones’ work has been featured in TIME and the Washington Post

Meet Nneka Jones, a prolific Tampa Bay area artist whose outstanding embroidery and fascinating paintings earned her the cover of TIME Magazine and the Washington Post. Would you like to support Nneka Jones? Visit their artist shop to browse prints and more.

Here is Jones’ artist statement:

My fascination and obsession for art are deeply rooted in my Trinbagonian background. For the past few years I’ve used art as a channel to create a more intimate connection between the melting pot of the Caribbean and the rest of the world. My artwork mimics our everyday human experiences with the aim of capturing the most realistic and purest versions of those encounters. By doing this, I create a space where I involve my mind, hands and eyes to create a narrative that is conveyed to the viewer in the form of a 2D or 3D artwork. In the end I satisfied my “urge to create” and can say with certainty: “Goodbye cravings. Hello art! “

Jones graduated from the University of Tampa with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a minor in Marketing in May 2020. She sees herself as an activist artist who uses her work to comment on social issues such as sex trafficking with minors and the sexual abuse of women and girls of color.

Draw attention to important topics around the world with art

In a feature on Praxis, Jones made the following artist statement regarding the purpose of their work:

“As my work evolves, I am reminded of my purpose in creating and how it shaped me as an artist and activist. In the interests of Caribbean society, as a colored Trinidad, it is important to me to draw attention to topics such as sexual abuse and sex trafficking in order to bring about social change. With each series and its captivating imagery and symbolism, I hope that this is a call to action so that everyone becomes aware of sex trafficking and opposes it. “

In the following video, Nneka Jones describes the inspiration for a mural that she created with her artist colleague Bianca Burrows for the SHINE Mural Festival 2020. The mural itself addresses the issue of overfishing around the world. You can find the 1957 mural on 1st Avenue South.

The post Nneka Jones, a prolific activist at Tampa Bay I Love the Castle first appeared on Daily Florida Press.

from Daily Florida Press https://dailyfloridapress.com/nneka-jones-a-prolific-activist-at-tampa-bay-i-love-the-castle/