The question behind Souls Unveiled - Art Under Pressure.
When the world changes, artists feel it first. I travel across cultures, exploring creative traditions to find artists at the creative frontlines.
I ask "what does it take to keep making something true when everything around it is shifting?"
—How it began
Unbound curiosity
Curiosity and adventure were at the forefront of my childhood. There was nothing preemptive stopping the discovery.
My global exploration began with a family tradition of spending every Christmas somewhere new in the world; a gift that sparked an enduring curiosity about cultures and the connections that unite us. By the age of 15, I was breaking bread with Bedouins in the Tunisian desert and crossing into Myanmar when it was still known as Burma. Those early experiences ignited a lifelong desire to venture beyond the familiar and embrace the unknown.
The immersive travel and collection of curios evolved. My travel intention became deeper, to meet the artist behind the painting, the goldsmith forging metal, or the potter molding clay from the Mekong River. The locations encompassed culturally rich destinations off the beaten path. A three-day motorcycle ride on the Ho Chi Minh trail to learn the history nourished my soul more than a visit to a war museum.
Career
Artist - Jewelry Designer Filmmaker - Host of Souls Unveiled
AN ARTIST IS BORN
A sabbatical led to a solo trip around the world built with intention. Often chasing street art from Banksy’s work on the streets of Bristol to Inti Castro's vibrant Andean inspired murals in Santiago, Chile.
Deriving a brand that was built with exotic stones and cultural symbols from around the world became the foundation of Jada Jo Jewelry. With an existing of network of contacts from past travel experiences, I returned to Morocco and Bali for sourcing trips. Being an artist expanded my horizon in learning an artist’s journey. The path of creation requires the artist to reach the depths of their soul to not only bring inspiration, but also to express the unsaid through their work.
INCEPTION OF SOULS UNVEILED
With being a full-time artists and continued exploration around the world, seeds were being planted for my next endeavor. The tapestry of my life was continuing to be curated. I saw artists were at the creative frontier with their work often leading policy or telling stories that were not captured in guide or history books. Their art was the heartbeat of the past and often a truth serum for the future. The inception of Souls Unveiled was to bring the stories to the world through the lens of artists.
Several years ago, I booked a one-way ticket to Hanoi, Vietnam. Armed with a camera, tripod, and abundance of hope, I put it to the test. A solo three-month trip across Southeast Asia confirmed my innate intuitive compass was catalyst for deeper artistic revelation unraveling the truths of a culture, community, and country. Like a magnet with opposing poles, I hold curiosity and intuition at the same time. One side creates trust, the other draws out deeper truths, allowing artists to reveal not just what they create, but what their work carries beneath the surface.
TODAY - LIVING PROOF OF CONCEPT
My work has become a lifestyle and living proof of concept for Souls Unveiled - Art Under Pressure. This year I am living in Central America immersing myself in the culturally rich lands of Guatamala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. Each are vast in culture, language, artistic styles, and heritage. It is evident the threads reach deep into the history, but the stories are even richer. Come join the journey and follow us on social media @Soulsunveiled or @Jadajojackson.
Ngo Duc Chi (Han Giang Ngo Duc Chi) Visionary Arist, Watercolorist
"I thought it was resistance. But they're not victims...Their reinvigorating."
From Souls Unveiled - Art Under Pressure pilot, filmed in Sapmi, Arctic Norway
— Jada Jo Jackson
—Let's work together
Reach out about a story, a project, or anything in between.
Brand collaborations, documentary work, speaking, editorial features, cultural projects.