Bio

 

Born. 1996

2016-2020 Manchester School of Art

BA Fine Art

 

 

 

 

Shows:

bits of stuff and things 2017

 

 

 

 

Artist Statement:

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Jonnie Brooks is a contemporary artist working across painting, sculpture, and digital collage. His practice is deeply rooted in the act of collecting—objects, images, and ideas—an instinct shaped by grief, particularly the loss of his father to suicide at age five. Through this process of gathering and assembling, Brooks creates work that explores impermanence, memory, and the subconscious ways we construct meaning from fragments.

His approach is intuitive, allowing the concepts to emerge organically, as if the work itself reveals what it needs. Absurdity plays a central role in his art, reflecting both the chaotic beauty of the everyday and the strange, dreamlike logic that underpins it. He draws inspiration from the esoteric arts and sciences, borrowing symbolism from alchemy, hermeticism, and other mystical traditions, weaving them into a broader exploration of spirituality and religion.

To ground these themes, Brooks incorporates elements of philosophy and psychology, using them as tools to navigate the paradoxes of existence. Underlying it all is a fascination with pop culture, which seeps into his work almost subconsciously, creating a dialogue between the mystical and the mundane. Through this synthesis, Brooks’ art becomes an act of meaning-making—an attempt to reconcile the past, confront the absurd, and transform loss into creation.

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Contact:

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Email: jonniebrooksart@gmail.com

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Instagram: @jonniebrooksart

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