Spotlight: Boston Artist Nygel Jones Creates Energetic Wall Constructions Inspired by Jazz and Legos

Every month, hundreds of galleries add newly available works by thousands of artists to the Artnet Gallery Network—and every week, we shine a spotlight on one artist or exhibition you should know. Check out what we have in store, and inquire for more with one simple click. 

About the Artist: Boston-based artist Nygel Jones earned a BFA in Interdisciplinary Arts from Montserrat College of Art, where he studied sculpture, painting, and other forms of media.

The artist creates unique wall-art constructions made from various materials including wood, paint, found objects, and copper in dynamic shapes and forms. These works are enclosed in artist-made frames that he creates for each work, and which act as an extension of the works themselves.

The artist is represented by Elizabeth Clement Fine Art. Next week, the gallery will present new works by Jones at the Hamptons Fine Art Fair, where the artist will also be in attendance. Visit the artist and dealer at Booth 232 in Southampton, New York. 

Why We Like It: The artist’s inspirations are wide-ranging and often rooted in his childhood in the 1990s, encompassing references to pop culture, music, instruments, technology, and design. The colors and shapes found in his constructions take inspiration from LEGOs, anime, comic books, cars, superheroes, and Star Wars. Often the works have musical titles, a testament to the artist’s own background. Jones comes from a family of woodworkers, carpenters, and musicians; his grandfather, Max Jones, was a jazz musician who played with Duke Ellington and Billie Holiday. 

According to the Artist: “My overall practice consists of painting and constructing shapes, in ways that extend beyond our known existing geometric shapes. It’s a psychological exercise, like solving a strategic game with a specific equation. The shape’s design is inspired by any random thought out of my subconscious, coming from memory to everyday experience or simply feeling and emotion. It’s a visual metaphor for the universal nature of musical inspiration. The frames are an extension of the shapes within and encapsulate the essence of repetition and melody through each cut side, like beats or notes on a scale.”

See new works by the artist below.