Artist Statement & Bio|

Jada Simone Haynes (they/m) is a Black non-binary archivist and multidisciplinary artist who is deeply engaged in exploring the nuanced aspects of Black queer existence, resistance, and resilience. In their creative practice, they are particularly drawn to abstracted images and the transformative potential of knotted and knit fibers to serve as conduit for the density of personal and collective grief, identity, and memory. These vessels and tapestries that weave fibers, verses, and vision create a constellation of experiences that delve into the textures of these themes and their futures.

Haynes resides in the Bay Area and Northern California where they contribute to the field as a Collections Associate at the Letterform Archive. In this role, they merge their interests in art and memory, focusing on how archives can serve as better preservers of all bodies, objects, and experiences. Haynes's work reflects a dedication to storytelling through various dimensions, a convergence that’s committed to blending the realms of archives and art practice where the past is dynamically engaged and inherited by the present.

Curriculum Vitae |

Education

2022

• B.A. Art Studio, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA
• B.A. Design, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA

Awards and Grants 

2022 

• Honorable Mention, Art Show International
• Best Experimental Film, Film Fest at UC Davis
• Student Staff Pick, Film Fest at UC Davis
• Freemon Gadberry Award in Art
• Freemon Gadberry Award in Sculpture
• New York Studio School Scholarship

2021 

• Yale Norfolk Nomination

Exhibitions, Production* & Curation** (*/**denotes prep and curation only, no participation)

2024 

• Seeds Split Before They Bloom, SF, CA | Curator(s): Dorian Emerson
• Silently Violent, WAL Public Gallery, Sacramento, CA | Curator(s): Jazel Muñoz
• Typographic Jazz, Letterform Archive, SF, CA | Curator(s): Rob Saunders*
• Metamorphosis, Mercury20 Gallery, Oakland, CA | Curator(s): Elena Gross

2023 

• Ordinary Survival Film Fest, Afrofuturist Center, Iowa
• Dissonance Within the Fog, Alchemy House, SF, CA | Curator(s): Dorian Emerson
• Surrounding (Self), Gallery 1202, Gilroy, CA | Curator(s): Emily McEwan-Upright
• Within Sight or From Imagination, Gearbox Gallery, Oakland, CA | Jury: Jeremy Morgan
• Now Ain't Some Day Yet, Root Division, SF, CA | Curator(s): Jamil Nasim
• Pyramid Scheme, MSP: Bass and Reiner, SF,CA
• Subscription To Mischief, Letterform Archive, SF, CA | Curator(s): Kate Long Stellar; Greg Lamarche; David Villorente; Kel Troughton*

2022 

• Open Ceilings, Davis, CA | Jada Haynes; Kaden Ezra Umana; Worlds Through Minds
• Senior Show Series (4): Figuratively Speaking**, Displace Amnesia**, Fresh Stains**,Obstructive Metaphors, Davis, CA | Jada Haynes
• Basement Gallery Film Fest, Davis, CA | Jada Haynes & Basement Gallery Team (BG)
• Free-For-All**, Basement Gallery, Davis, CA | Jada Haynes & Basement Gallery

2021 (Notable Shows)

• Adultification Anthology, Basement Gallery, Davis, CA | Jada Haynes; Neida Cruz;Amanda Thomas; Kaden Ezra Umana; Trinity Salazar; Ren Allathkani; Katja Zimmer
• Colors Group Show, Basement Gallery, Davis, CA | Jada Haynes & BG Team
• Darkness Within Group Show, Basement Gallery, Davis, CA | Jada Haynes & BG Team
• 2021 UCD Senior Show, Off-Campus Residence | Jada Haynes & BG Team
• New Beginning (Virtual Shows & Podcast)** | Curator & Host: Jada Haynes

Commissions

• 2022 UCD MFA Cand. Philip Byrne, Video Collaboration for Strata Gallery Solo Show “Bloom”
• 2021 California Studio, Raul de Nieves Performance Promotion (Media & Marketing)
• Veronica Diaz Muniz, OJOXOJO Stage Projection

Work & Related Experience

• Collections Associate, Letterform Archive, San Francisco, CA | May 2022-Current
• Contract Video Editor; Web Designer; Visual Artist, Davis, CA | 2020-Current
• Lead Director of Basement Gallery, University of California, Davis | September 2020-June 2022