ASA JACKSON

"The foundation of my work is based in lived with and discarded items. Garments, bags, household fabrics, pillows, curtains, blankets, newspapers, hair ect become the material form. There’s a curiosity in the obscured stories these items hold and the places they’ve been; a collection of energy that’s living. A literal juxtaposition of culture forms the basis of the work. In a way, reusing these fabrics keeps these moments and memories alive, but puts them in different context and rhythm. The content of the work comes from another place. My inner world displayed outward, my fascination with the origin of things, man’s divinity and regality, time, and evolution. A physical representation of the layers and textures of life, or any given subject."

 Asa Jackson is an American artist, curator, and director based in Virginia. As a multidisciplinary artist, Jackson’s work explores the cross section of textile from various countries, peoples, time periods, and personal histories. His works are often anthropological studies, representing the lives of myriad people, their collective and individual stories. By cutting and sewing fabrics together, Jackson metaphorically mixes cultures, time periods, people and places into unified works of art.

Jackson studied sociology at Boston University. He then moved to New York in 2010, where he was featured in several exhibitions, including a career-defining solo exhibition at Samuel Owen Gallery in Greenwich, CT. Jackson then opened 670 Gallery in Virginia, leading the gallery as its director from 2014-2017. He has since been featured in numerous exhibitions, including more recently MoCA Arlington, VA, Hodges Taylor Gallery in Charlotte, NC, Virginia MoCA in Virginia Beach, VA, the Harvey B. Gantt Center in Charlotte, NC, and TFA Advisory in Charlotte, NC. He has completed residencies at the McColl Center in Charlotte, VA, and the MoCA Arlington, to name a few. His work is a part of various prominent collections including the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, The Rockwell Museum, and the Capital One Corporate Collection. Jackson is the co-founder and executive director of the CAN Foundation, a not-for-profit arts organization in Newport News, VA, with a focus on artist development, arts education, and public projects. He served on the board of the Virginia Commission for the Arts from 2018-2023 where he acted as chairman for FY 2022.