Jonah Roll
I was born and raised on a forty-five-foot sailboat, The Flying Walrus, in Honolulu, Hawaii. I grew up surrounded by ocean creatures, sailors, liveaboards, and anchor-outs living in the Ala Wai Yacht harbor. I am influenced by my watery beginnings and my love for nautical lore. I take the viewer on a journey to surreal destinations, suffused with imagery embedded in an original and stylized reality. I received a Bachelor of Arts in printmaking and painting from the Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, Oregon.
One of my main projects has been a floating art studio called The Ark in the harbor of Mission Creek . The Ark is composed of entirely recycled materials and is brightly painted with murals all around the cabin. The Ark is built on old house boat floats and contains an underwater viewing window where I am able to look into the depths of Mission Creek while I draw and paint.
I currently live at Project Artaud, a non-profit artist community in San Francisco. My pieces have been exhibited in the Jain Marunouchi Gallery, Portland Art Museum, Chroma Arts Gallery, Pope Gallery, Enso Gallery and most recently the deYoung 2023 Open.