Artist Statement

I am an artist, energy healer, educator, and mother whose work in each of those realms blends together with the others.

The name of my studio, Bosque Oscuro, means “dark forest” in Spanish. This is a reference to anthropologist Joseph Campbell’s concept of venturing off the beaten path, into the dark forest, to discover what is truly destined. It is my belief that developing a relationship with creativity requires a similar level of cultural abandon, and so gives us access to a wellspring of internal wisdom that is uniquely ours.

My intent is to create paintings that are born from and resonate with the emotional and spiritual realms rather than ideas of the mind. I am interested in engaging with the two-dimensional painting surface as a portal into states of wonder and curiosity.

As an educator, I use my experience and training as a professional artist, Reiki Master, and Montessori guide to create a learning environment that allows each artist to connect with their innate artistic genius. I value working within the confluence of creativity, energy medicine, and intuition as a pathway to inspiration.

Biography

Jasmin Iskandar de Caro was born outside of Los Angeles, California to immigrant parents from Mexico, Italy, and China by way of Indonesia. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in art history from Vassar College, an Associate of Arts degree in graphic design from The Art Institutes of North Hollywood, and has received continued education in the field of studio art from Art Center, the University of Southern California, and the University of California, Los Angeles. Iskandar de Caro received her Montessori teaching certificate from the Montesori Training Centre of British Columbia and was initiated to the Master level of Usui Reiki in 2019. Her work has been exhibited in Tubac Center for the Arts, Las Lagunas Art Gallery, RAW Artists: Orange County, El Velorio, and the Ann Arbor Art Fair among others.