Bree Jonson

Rekindling relationships between human and nature
By Ho See Wah

Bree Jonson, ‘Let Dead Dogs Die (I Hope Not)’, 2019, oil on canvas, 186 x 251cm. Image courtesy of the artist and Yavuz Gallery.

Manila-based Bree Jonson (B.1991) is an artist who works primarily in painting. Featuring imageries from the natural world in her fantastical works, the artist tends towards revealing the connections we have with the creatures she animates in striking forms. ⁣ 

Jonson had an unconventional start in her artistic career. She obtained an undergraduate degree in Industrial Engineering at Ateneo de Davao University. Not satisfied with this route, she decided to pursue her lifelong interest in the arts, and thereafter enrolled herself in the UP College of Fine Arts, University of the Philippines. Though the artist did not complete her Fine Arts degree, she came under the tutelage of Philippine artist Jason Montinola and thereafter pursued a career as an artist. Since 2014, Jonson has participated in a number of exhibitions regularly, including her solos, ‘Notes on Stillness’ (2019) at Yavuz Gallery, Singapore and ‘Writhing’ (2017) at OUR ArtProjects, Kuala Lumpur, and group shows ‘Left Hand of Darkness’ (2018) at MO_Space, Manila and ‘Statim Finis (The End of All Things)’ (2016) at Stephen Romano Gallery, New York.

Bree Jonson, ‘Notes on Stillness’, 2019 at Yavuz Gallery, Singapore, exhibition installation view. Image courtesy of the artist and Yavuz Gallery. b.jpg

In her last solo exhibition, ‘Notes on Stillness’, Jonson continues her investigation into the human condition vis-à-vis the animate world with which we co-exist. The paintings are an observation and appreciation of the quiet state of being, with each work acting as a tool for us to contemplate from moment to moment. At the same time, individual paintings portray a weird, wondrous ecosystem of their own, beckoning us to ponder the enormity of the world. Through the awe and curiosity that these “notes” inspires, we are prompted towards rekindling our relationship with this world and its many inhabitants. 

Bree Jonson, ‘Arms, Legs and Torsos’, 2017, oil on canvas, 122 x 91.5cm. Image courtesy of the artist and OUR ArtProjects.

In an earlier show, ‘Writhing’, the artist explores the underwater world and similarly conjures up lush paintings of sea urchins and starfishes, anemones and murky seabeds. Again, the artist inspires with her colourful portrayals of non-human creatures in a bid to negotiate and achieve a natureculture perspective, where human culture and nature are, in fact, inseparable. In addition, ‘Writhing’ alludes to the body and the tensions that come along with it. By insinuating the association through vaguely corresponding yet non-anthropomorphic forms, the artist confers upon the viewers a feeling of alienation to highlight our disconnection from the commodified nude figure. This discomfort towards the female body is further accentuated by the writhing forms, rendering a grotesque sensation upon the otherwise beautiful and brightly-coloured creatures.  

Though Jonson professes that she explores a variety of themes in her practice, a running thread is her endless fascination with creating a world with different species existing harmoniously, which is especially relevant in our era of ecological degradation. The animals in her paintings are not just passive beings, but active agents in opening our imaginations towards a more habitable world ahead.  

Click here to read our conversation with Bree Jonson, where she speaks about her career’s choppy start, finding her artistic language, and the wide range of sources that she draws her inspiration from.