About
Dean Jackson
“For me, art and design are one in the same”
Dean Jackson is an Toronto artist and furniture maker with a fresh take on interactive sculpture. His artwork generates an emotional response through intricate workmanship, nostalgic references to mechanical achievements and a profound element of surprise. Whether sculpture or furniture, Jackson treats each project as an artistic journey that ends with a beautifully crafted and desirable object.
After completing an Honours BA in Fine Arts from the University of Waterloo in 1984, Jackson began making art while designing and building custom furniture in the Toronto area. Early artwork included drawing, painting and mixed media relief sculpture based on layered old wall images from extensive travels throughout Europe and Asia, while furniture commissions spanned the design spectrum and allowed him to develop an array of hand skills that play a major role in his current work.
“My commissioned furniture work has always been about getting into my client’s head and finding a well-designed solution to their needs, while my artwork is about getting into my own and creating beautifully crafted objects that are totally unique in the world.”
Inspiration for Jackson’s work comes from historical forms of innovative art and industrial design. Iconic automobiles, streamlined locomotives and shiny aluminum aircraft are on equal footing with the great masters of painting and sculpture. The Art Deco legacy of speed, aerodynamics and luxury is particularly influential, with its free and optimistic spirit well-represented in Jackson’s sculpture.
Pushing the envelope of artistic expression, making things no one has made before and doing it with excellence are Jackson’s ultimate goals. Imagination and knowledge of the past, combined with curiosity, skill, and a desire to create, define Jackson the artist.