Jason Gronlund is multi-disciplinary artist concentrating in two and three dimensional fine art. He went to Michigan State University for photography and came out a sculptor. After graduating with a BFA in Studio Art, he moved to the West Coast to start the next phase of education in blacksmithing, steel fabrication, and large scale sculpture. Oakland became his home for the next 12 years where an incredible amount of industrial resources and spaces were being utilized by artists who were able to build at a very large scale. In that environment he began a career as a metal artist/blacksmith for hire while getting to be involved in massive steel sculpture builds happening at American Steel Studios and NIMBY among other warehouse spaces in the Bay Area of California.

In 2010 Jason became a founding member of the international collaborative art project known as Oaklajara, which put together artists from Oakland, California, and Guadalajara, Mexico. Ten years later he is living full-time in Guadalajara working on printmaking as well as sculptural steel projects. His commissioned sculptural work has been shown many times at the Burning Man festival in Nevada, and two-dimensional work in galleries across the United States and Mexico.

His latest project, Temple of Masks, was awarded an Honorarium from Burning Man Arts for Burning Man 2021.

A Temple of Masks is an interactive pyramid-like structure comprised of over 140 different masks made of chromed steel. A six-sided spire at the top connects the two structural legs and supports a poofing flame halo at its highest point. Two awnings provide shade over the entrances as well as support for the illuminated mask chandeliers. From a distance, the chromed masks will appear shiny and reflect any light cast upon it. Every mask has a different theme, expression, shape and detail that sets it apart from the rest, adding an eclectic aesthetic to the overall sculpture.

The project was started and led by artist Jason Gronlund who won an honorarium for the sculpture from Burning Man in 2020. When the event was canceled, Jason continued to work on the masks in the hopes of finishing the piece and showing it somewhere when the time was right. Slowly but surely the masks were completed and the project started to take on a more collaborative approach. In Guadalajara, where Jason’s studio is located, he started working with local artists to design and build new masks. With each new collaboration the collection of masks became more and more diverse, with many different styles, themes, expressions, forms, and personalities.

Masks have been made and used by many different cultures all over the world since the beginning of civilization. They hold a special place even in the modern era where they are routinely used in a variety of ways: to entertain, tell the truth, hide one’s true identity, speak freely, celebrate, and especially in satire. A literal mask is not even necessary anymore as people can create whole personalities and ideologies that are not actual representations of the truth, but clever disguises meant to manipulate the existing order of things. Whatever they are used for, there is no denying the magic of these neutral objects, a device that transforms someone into something altogether different. This can be an alluring concept given the complexities of human interaction and a good reminder that this modern world may not be so different than the ancient ones where people were also compelled to make and use masks to alter the outcomes of any given situation.

• Material: Stainless Steel & Chrome

• Size: 15’ (w) x 13’ (d) x 20’ (h)

• Weight: 1,350 lbs