Artist Statement – Jason Aponte
I paint and draw from the space between dreams and reality, where visions of the future collide with echoes of destruction. My work explores the tension between chaos and adaptation—between the collapse of the familiar and the quiet persistence of nature reclaiming what was lost.
The imagery I create is often shaped by my fascination with apocalyptic narratives. I’ve always been drawn to the way movies, games, and literature depict disasters, not just for the spectacle but for the underlying question they pose: how do we survive when the world as we know it ends? Sirens wail across empty cities, people flee in panic, fires burn, and yet, beneath the wreckage, life continues—plants push through cracks in concrete, invasive species flourish, and something new emerges from what was destroyed.
Destruction and creation are inseparable. Whether in the vastness of the universe or in the intimate act of making art, one thing must give way for another to take shape. I am particularly interested in the fragile symbiosis that exists in these moments of transition.
We are a part of nature but are usually the invasive species that leave behind the wreckage. Can we truly integrate ourselves into different ecosystems without causing harm to those environments? Does evolution happen only when we disrupt equilibrium, forcing ourselves to adapt?
Survival is at the heart of my work. I am drawn to surreal moments—when the world shifts into something unfamiliar, when the rules no longer apply, and when we are forced to confront who we truly are. Some creatures thrive in these conditions, while others struggle against their inability to change. Through my paintings and drawings, I explore these thresholds, the spaces between destruction and renewal, where the future remains uncertain but full of possibility.