Jazz Grant (b.1992, London) is a multimedia artist who works mainly as a collagist and film animator.

In her pieces she explores the construction of memory, personal history, roots and identity. Her work expresses a mixture of what’s to come and what has come before with a process originally honed through studying Menswear at the London College of Fashion. The need to represent concepts visually and exploring form, texture and colour led to the creation of art works that stood in themselves. Each aspect of the collage is carefully sourced, photographed, printed, scanned and individually hand-cut. Through an intuitive method of curation and a refined sense of composition each piece forms an aesthetic and meaningful conclusion that visually explores the original idea of the work. Each composition is made from elements that are personally photographed by Grant or sourced from archival imagery.

Her unique style and craft has lead to her creating a mural for Jay Z’s Book of HOV, NYC exhibition, artwork for the front cover of Dazed magazine and collaborations with taste making brands and artists such as Celeste, Noname, Burberry, Gucci, Hermès and adidas, whilst being celebrated in magazines such as The Face, Love Magazine and Creative Review. 

HOW IS YOUR WORK INFLUENCED BY THE CIRCA 2024 MANIFESTO?
Combining and re-imagining archival footage to weave a distorted dreamscape of our changing natural world. It is consumed by the ever evolving industrial inventions that increasingly threaten our perilous environment. Progress in the name of efficiency should have a ‘side effects’ warning label. Imposing structures are erected, furnaces burn, smoke fills the atmosphere, eating up our earth, plants and air. We attempt to navigate the world as if it isn’t bleeding. Through the gaze of my Jamaican and English heritage, I consider the countryside and the everyday people walking the earth, stunned yet somehow indifferent to the chaos that has ripped their world apart. Art is hope. The very act of interrogating and interpreting these ideas, demons and anxieties allow for a deep resonating connection that shouts ‘you’re not alone, I feel it too’ through stimulating, inspiring and pushing art forward. This is how we break free from the torments that surround us.

WHAT WOULD YOU CREATE/DO WITH THE £30K CIRCA PRIZE?
I am looking to create a film that evolves my hand-cut collage process by combining it with self directed footage. I want to continue my dream-like exploration of history, ancestry, climate and political chaos with the intention of projecting alternative narratives of hope, resistance and resilience. This will involve archive footage, again, but now I want to incorporate present day people to deepen the narrative and consider a personal approach.

FOLLOW JAZZ GRANT ON INSTAGRAM