Jay Stoneking is a queer, mixed Vietnamese-American visual artist and graphic novelist living and working in Seattle. Primarily self-taught, his creative practice touches traditional and digital mediums, design, and storytelling.
Raised a young girl in his immigrant, Vietnamese family, Jay draws deeply from his complicated relationship between cultures and genders. He uses the physical ritual of creation to channel his love for magic and mysticism, weaving his own flavor of fantasy into art inspired by his mixed heritage and his journey to self-discovery.
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His Incantives are visual incantations capturing intricate calligraphic patterns divined into spells on scrolls and paper talismans. Each incantive features a unique sigil drawing from the beauty and movement of shapes from multiple styles of writing, such as Arabic, Chinese, Hebrew, Thai, and Hindi. Offered at altars or as written prayers, they become wishes of protection, prosperity, and power. To harness their delicate magic, he binds light onto prepared paper surfaces with his arcane script, then gilds the edges shut.
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Ghosts of Prayers Past is Jay's newest work in installation art, reclaiming gold foil negatives into arrangements of delicate suncatchers honoring past blessings. Good fortune leaves long shadows on our lives, reflected in our current circumstances. To acknowledge these spirits of the past is an act of gratitude and acceptance for their role and presence in our present.
Find Jay online:
@jaystonekingart
jaystoneking.com