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2000s
2000s

In the 2000s, Jonas Wood began establishing his unique artistic voice, laying the foundation for a career that would come to be characterized by a distinctive melding of personal experiences with a deep engagement with art history. His first solo exhibition took place in 2006 at the Black Dragon Society in Los Angeles, marking the start of his visibility in the art world. This early exposure led to further solo exhibitions, notably at Anton Kern Gallery in New York in 2007, Shane Campbell Gallery in Chicago, and later, more extensive shows such as at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles in 2010, highlighting the rapid ascent of his career​ (Wikipedia)​. During this period, Wood's style began to crystallize around his signature use of vibrant colors and the exploration of flat planes, influenced by a severe hand injury that temporarily forced him to paint with his non-dominant hand. This event marked a turning point, steering him away from painting from life towards a style that emphasizes bold flat shapes and colors. His process evolved to involve the compilation of various images, including photographs he took himself, images from magazines, and other found materials, which he then synthesized into the densely layered compositions that characterize his work. This methodology allowed Wood to craft a hybrid space within his paintings, combining direct observation with imaginative reconstruction​ (Artsy)​. Wood's work in the 2000s was not only formative in developing his aesthetic but also in laying the groundwork for themes he would explore throughout his career. His paintings from this era began to incorporate elements that would become hallmarks of his style, including interior scenes filled with domestic objects and pot plants, sports imagery, and portraits, all rendered with a perspective that both flattens and deepens the visual field. These works signal his interest in the interplay between personal narrative and broader cultural observations, mediated through a lens deeply informed by art historical precedents​ (Ocula Art)​. As he settled into his Los Angeles studio, shared with his wife, artist Shio Kusaka, Wood's work continued to evolve, marked by public commissions and inclusion in major institutional collections. His approach—characterized by a layering of perspectives and a vibrant palette—draws from Cubism and the bold stylizations of van Gogh, Matisse, and Hockney, allowing him to navigate between representation and abstraction. This period established Wood as an artist capable of transforming everyday scenes into complex, multifaceted compositions that challenge and engage the viewer​ (Sothebys.com)​. By the late 2000s, Wood had not only ound his stylistic footing but also began to garner the critical and commercial success that would define his subsequent career, including his representation by major galleries like David Kordansky Gallery and significant sales achievements at auction. His work from this era reflects a burgeoning exploration of themes and techniques that would fully flower in the following decades, marking him as a significant figure in contemporary art​ (David Kordansky Gallery)​​ (Sothebys.com)​.