Jonarra Swanson is an artist from Federal Way, WA - based in Seattle Washington. Her introduction into the arts was like anyone, as a child she was creating colorful landscapes on coloring book pages and homemade greeting cards for loved ones. She is a self taught artist whose work is a fusion of poetry, expressionism and realism. Although hip hop and portraiture was ingrained into her early work, her modern approach reinterprets the exuberance of Roccoco with a bold and expressive style featuring a mixture of writing symbols and figures that tell a story. 

She is driven to capture the essence of humanity through the exploration of balancing two things: self-expression and community connection. From the very beginning of her career, she prioritized community through teaching youth and adult classes and collaborating with many artists on activating the city through the arts. She continues to make this the heart of her work through oil and acrylic paintings and murals throughout the city. To capture humanity through her “blue figures” holds true to her heart of connection. “When I paint these people in blue, I think it’s so beautiful that the skin color is the least important and the soul of the people really shine through”. 

As her career grows, so does a community who honors connection, love and growth.

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