ARTIST STATEMENT

My work emerges from a deeply personal journey shaped by movement, displacement, and resilience. Like many artists, I have experienced the realities of rising rents and the increasing difficulty of maintaining a creative life within major cities. Moving from place to place became more than a circumstance—it became the foundation of my artistic practice and the catalyst for an imagined world that continues to evolve throughout my work.

Within this fictional universe, artists find refuge within an expansive railroad and transit network.These interconnected spaces serve as both sanctuary and studio, where creativity flourishes and stories are exchanged. The inhabitants of this world carry with them the histories, cultures, and identities of the places they have lived, transforming transit into a living archive of human experience.

My work explores themes of global humanity, migration, belonging, culture, and fashion.

Through contemporary silhouettes layered with graphic text and references to locations across the world, I create visual narratives that bridge personal memory and collective experience. Geographic markers become symbols of connection, documenting journeys while celebrating the diversity of communities that shape our shared existence.

By blending elements of storytelling, design, and social commentary, I invite viewers to consider movement not as displacement alone, but as a source of transformation, creativity, and cultural exchange. The work reflects a vision of a world where artists are valued, where mobility becomes a catalyst for innovation, and where the stories of people and places remain inter-connected across borders. Through these imagined landscapes, I seek to honor the enduring human desire for home, community, and creative expression.

Jō Baskerville (American, b. 1968) is a contemporary visual artist whose work reimagines the world through storytelling, culture, and human connection. Through vibrant figurative

compositions, Baskerville creates imagined narratives that transcend geography, offering

viewers glimpses into places, traditions, and communities across the globe. His work explores the richness of global humanity, celebrating the beauty of cultural diversity, fashion, migration, and the shared experiences that connect people across continents.

Drawing inspiration from his lifelong fascination with place and identity, Baskerville constructs visual worlds populated by distinctive characters whose stories unfold beyond borders. His paintings invite audiences to travel through landscapes both familiar and imagined, where memory, culture, and creativity intersect.

Baskerville’s artwork has been featured on the set walls of several Tyler Perry television

productions and is included in numerous private collections throughout the United States. His growing body of work continues to resonate with collectors and audiences who are drawn to its narrative depth, bold visual language, and celebration of the human spirit.

He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Norfolk State University. A native of Petersburg, Virginia, Baskerville spent more than two decades living and working in Atlanta, Georgia, an experience that further shaped his artistic vision and understanding of diverse cultural communities. He now resides in Plymouth, North Carolina, where he continues to create work that bridges cultures, honors storytelling traditions, and reimagines the world through art.