JASPER JOSEPH MARCOS GARVIDA
2023
Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition
13 June - 20 August 2023
Burlington House, Piccadilly, London, W1J 0BD
Jasper’s latest sculpture, ‘TIK and TOK’ has been chosen to feature in this year’s Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition which explores the theme of ‘Only Connect’, inspired by a quote from the novel Howards End by E. M. Forster. His work was selected by a panel of judges led by British artist David Remfry RA and including Tim Shaw RA, sculptor and Royal Academician who won the prestigious Jack Goldhill Award for Sculpture at The Summer Exhibition in 2015. ‘TIK and TOK’ is one of around 1,000 artworks forming this year’s exhibition, shortlisted from over 16,000 initial submissions.
The Summer Exhibition, held annually since 1769, is a “celebration of contemporary art and architecture, providing a vital platform and support for artists at all stages of their career” (RA press release). Jasper’s sculpture will be exhibited alongside artworks by world renouned artists that include a centrepiece by the late Phyllida Barlow RA, a mobile installation that crosses the worlds of fashion and sculpture by the Irish fashion designer Richard Malone and works by Tracey Emin, Colombian sculptor Carlos Zapata and Ugandan designer Jonah Luswata.
His sculpture, ‘TIK and TOK’ reflects his current practice which draws on his experiences of childhood. It is a journey of self-discovery for Jasper, reflecting on how he has been influenced by his past in order to better understand himself as a person and an artist. His latest work explores the themes of how we connect with each other in the modern digital age and suggests there is an intrinsic need for people to connect with others in a social context and to seek human interaction on a personal level.
Speaking about being selected for this year’s exhibiton he said “I am delighted to be part of the RA Summer exhibition. As soon as I found out this year’s theme, ‘Only Connect’, it made me think about how we communicate and interact with others through technology and social media and to question how meaningful these connections can be. I reflected on my own childhood and how I connected with others growing up in the seventies. Even though I came from a big family, as the youngest child with a seven-year gap between me and my six other siblings, I felt alone. It was only when I started school at the age of five that I was able to share my thoughts and ideas with other kids of my age which made me feel connected. Before that, I was mostly at home on my own and to occupy my time, I would imagine a world where I had friends I could play with. Using objects found around the house I would create toys such as sock-puppets and give them names and characters.”
The Summer Exhibition runs from 13 June — 20 August 2023. Tickets can be purchased from the Royal Academy’s website.
2021
Part of the Royal College of Arts 2021 Painting and Sculpture Degree Show, showcased artwork from MA sculpture graduates and featured Jasper Garvida’s work from his 'Isolation – Vessels and the Body' collection.
Garvida’s practice explores ideas on transformation, concealment, materiality, fragility, and the body. Deep in its core is the search for meaning to our existence as human beings, the lives that we live, and the space we inhabit. He believes that, “art can deepen our understanding of the relationship between ourselves and the world around us”.
Having grown up in the Philippines, as the seventh of seven siblings, with a seven-year gap between him and his brother, he recalls that after being scolded by his parents or siblings he would go and hide, effectively isolating himself. He said “I felt alone with no one to confide in or to cry to. So, I would hide in small places which I could fit into such as a cupboard, in a corner inside of a wardrobe cabinet or underneath a parked car. My current practice grew directly from the recollection of these traumatic experiences from my childhood”.
Collapse (2021) – Featured artwork from Jasper's Collection