Jackie Bobo

Jackie Bobo

Jackie Bobo is the vibrant force behind Bobo to the Max, an art practice and brand that creates emotionally immersive art and experiences inviting people to feel deeply, express fully, and belong as their most vivid selves.

Informed by nearly a decade as a Speech-Language Pathologist—and more than three decades of living at the intersection of queerness, Blackness, and neurodivergence—Jackie approaches painting as its own language, one capable of holding nuance from the playful to the profound.

Through her signature Happy Spooky aesthetic—bright, bold colors paired with ghosts, spiders, and other whimsically macabre motifs—her work explores what it means to unmask, authentically connect, and belong. Each piece acts as a symbol of self-acceptance, affirming that belonging doesn’t mean blending in—it means revealing who you already are.

Bobo to the Max is built on invitation, not instruction—an open door to feel.

Josef Berliner

Josef Berliner's artistic identity emerged early. As a child he gravitated toward sketchpads and drawing pencils, and a supportive family nurtured that spark until his work was selected for the Scholastic Art Awards' national touring exhibition at sixteen, earning his first public showing at the Columbia Museum of Art. He studied at the University of South Carolina among instructors and classmates who remain close friends today, but an unexpected detour into DJing took hold, and he spent years as one of the Southeast's premier nightclub DJs, playing top venues and racking up awards. That chapter also brought him his husband Josh, his biggest supporter and most honest critic. As commission work picked up alongside the DJ career, Josh's encouragement helped Josef make the leap into art full time, fulfilling a lifelong dream.

Since then, Josef has exhibited widely in solo and group shows and founded Eye-Conic Art Studio. His work has appeared in community theatre lobbies, touring exhibitions, and private collections across regional, national, and international audiences, and he's contributed to organizations like Bullets and Bandaids, the Betsy Blackmon Dance Company, the Atlantic Institute, the Jasper Project, the Greater Irmo Art Guild, South Carolina Artists, and Artists for Africa, where he was a featured artist at the 2024 and 2026 Postcard Art galas. Working primarily in oil on canvas with portraiture at his core, Josef pairs technical precision with a deeper aim: revealing who his subjects truly are beneath the surface.

Alejandro García-Lemos

Bio: Alejandro García-Lemos is a visual artist based in New Orleans, Louisiana and Columbia, SC. He holds a MA in Latin American Studies from Florida International University in Miami, and a BA in Graphic Design from the School of Arts at the National University in Bogotá, Colombia. His work focuses on social issues, mostly on aspects of immigration, sexuality, biculturalism, religion and community. His works has been shown mostly in the South East. Alejandro is a member of the National Association of Latino Arts and Culture (NALAC), as well as the founder of Palmetto & LUNA a non-profit organization promoting Latino Arts and Cultures in South Carolina since 2007. From 2022 to 2024 he was part of the artist collective “CAVILANTES” in Colombia, showing in Panama, México and Colombia. In July 2025 Alejandro was selected for a residency of Buihno, ArtLab in Messejana, Alentejo Portugal.

Artist Statement: I create art based on the curatorial statement or the intent of the show, which means that I use different materials and technics to convey the meaning of the exhibition. For the LGBTQ+ Pride Jasper show I decided to use some recent homo-erotic collages that I have been developing which depict images of the male nude body, highlighting the issue that men's bodies have been historically minimized, excluded or avoided in most art forms. It still persist an aspect of censorship if the male body is openly presented.

Tayler Simon

Tayler Simon (she, her) is a writer, artist, social worker, and seeker of collective liberation. She owns Liberation is Lit, a bookstore and press that sparks collective action for liberation among readers by promoting stories from intersectional experiences. Her main artistic mediums are digital collage and poetry. She has self-published four books, including her latest, Black Madonna. Through her art, she has made a commitment to radical vulnerability, curiosity, connection, and liberation.

Barry J. White

Barry J. White is a Blythewood, SC-based self-taught multi-disciplinary artist whose works center the beauty, strength, and vulnerability of Black men. Guided by intuition, personal experience, and emotion, Barry’s paintings explore themes of identity and self-acceptance through expressive realism and atmospheric color.

Barry’s work has been featured in exhibitions For the People, Crowned by the Roots, Degenerate II, and Gemini Arts, Stormwater, Roc Bottom, and Drummond studios, where it’s been recognized for its depth, honesty, and visual storytelling.

This month, Jasper is featuring three artists in the Jasper Alley at Tapp’s that we want to make sure everyone knows about—Jackie Bobo, Barry J. White, and Michael Morris Zamora.

Barry J. White is a Blythewood, SC-based self-taught multi-disciplinary artist whose works center the beauty, strength, and vulnerability of Black men. Guided by intuition, personal experience, and emotion, Barry’s paintings explore themes of identity and self-acceptance through expressive realism and atmospheric color.

Barry’s work has been featured in the following exhibitions For the People, Crowned by the Roots, Jasper Degenerate Arts II, as well as at Gemini Arts, Stormwater Studios, Roc Bottom Studio, and Drummond Studios. His work has been recognized for its depth, honesty, and visual storytelling.

White says that his exhibition at the Jasper Alley has given me the confidence to start working on more pieces daily. I'm creating a collection I'm naming, I Drew Him. It's a collection of people that I have known over the years that inspire my current artistic expression. My next show is By Any Means, curated by KELA, with the opening reception on Juneteenth at REDUX Studio in Charleston, SC.”

Continuing, White says he is inspired by many local artists including Dre Lopez, Skrilla, Cam Moore, Keith Tolan, Damion Johnson, Sanford Greene, Jahnna Blyden, Ija Monet, and Tyrone Geter, but he really appreciates the work of his show-mate, Jackie Bobo, saying, “I can't look at Jackie's work without thinking about the kindness she extends to the people around her. Before I ever spent time with her artwork, Jackie encouraged me to embrace vulnerability and find the courage to share my own art and show up as my authentic self. That same spirit lives inside her paintings. In her work, what's typically viewed as different or spooky becomes a strength instead of something to hide or be ashamed of. Little Lonely Ghost feels less like sadness and more like an invitation to be seen. Her "Happy Spooky" aesthetic reminds me that belonging isn't about fitting in, it's about showing up as your authentic self. Spending time with her art feels like receiving permission to take up space exactly as you are.”

Jackie Bobo is the vibrant force behind Bobo to the Max, an art practice and brand that creates emotionally immersive art and experiences inviting people to feel deeply, express fully, and belong as their most vivid selves.

Informed by nearly a decade as a speech-language pathologist—and more than three decades of living at the intersection of queerness, Blackness, and neurodivergence—Bobo approaches painting as its own language, one capable of holding nuance from the playful to the profound.

Through her signature “Happy Spooky” aesthetic—bright, bold colors paired with ghosts, spiders, and other whimsically macabre motifs—her work explores what it means to unmask, authentically connect, and belong. Each piece acts as a symbol of self-acceptance, affirming that belonging doesn’t mean blending in—it means revealing who you already are.

Bobo, who is currently an artist-in-residence with One Columbia for Arts & Culture at the Garage Studio, says she is “in the ideation phase of another immersive experience, but I'm being intentionally tight-lipped about it for now!”

About her show-mate Barry J White, Bobo says, “Barry captures the power, in both strength and tenderness, of Black masculinity in a way that's magnetic. His work makes you feel, in real time, suspended between society's limited understanding of and ability to hold space for Black masculinity, showcased through his daring vulnerability and technical skill.”

Michael Morris Zamora was born in Puerto Rico to a South Carolinian father and a Puerto Rican mother. Mostly self-taught, he began creating art at the age of ten, and by fourteen, was painting in oil and acrylic mediums with a tendency toward abstract expressionism.

A chemist, film actor, writer, poet, and drummer, in Puerto Rico Zamora is also a Certified Artisan specializing in wood carving and sculpting, harkening back to his childhood interests in iron sculpting, wood carving, miniature buildings installations, and jewelry-making from natural seeds and seashells. In 1972 he published some of his first poems and stories. In 1980 he published his poetry book, Telarañas (translated, Cobwebs).

Zamora also taught elementary art and later studied art at the San Juan Art Students League under Professors Rafael Rivera Ortiz (drawing and painting), and Hiram Rosado Poupart (ceramics).

According to Barry J. White, “I've met Michael on several occasions, and what stands out immediately is his warmth. He's a natural storyteller, always ready with a conversation, and he has a genuine enthusiasm that makes people feel welcome. That same sense of curiosity seems to carry into his artwork. Michael's paintings move between dreams, emotions, memory, and abstraction. Two pieces that especially resonate with me are Depression and Dreaming in Green. While very different in mood, both feel deeply human. Depression captures a quiet heaviness and vulnerability, while Dreaming in Green feels expansive, imaginative, and full of possibility. Michael’s paintings don't simply depict a subject; they create space for reflection and emotion. Like the stories he tells from his life experiences, they stay with you long after you've walked away.”

Bobo agrees adding, “Michael's work makes me feel like I've found a visual escape hatch from this reality into a world where my thoughts, galloping as they may be, are supported by his artistry the whole time. His use of color and the integration of various subjects on his canvases invite ease and reflection while maintaining presence—like a daydream.”

Zamora returns the sentiments about both his show-mates. “When I met Jackie for the first time in person at the Jasper Magazine release party a couple of months ago, it was a magical moment. For some reason, we recognized ourselves immediately,” he says. “Since we were notified we were going to be in the June Tapps show together I was touched by the magical vibrance of her creations. Her work and personal energy really synchronized with me and we spent over an hour engaged in a wonderful exchange of ideas and artistic views.”

He continues, “About Barry I can say we connected from the first moment as well. He is such a humble being with a spiritual aura that you can feel every time you coincide with him on any artistic venue. His sensibility can be felt both on his great artistic expression and his person as well. [Barry is] always ready for a fraternal hug with his contagious smile. I feel so honored by being with both great artists. Thanks to the Jasper Project for this memorable experience.”

The work of all three artist will remain on display at the Jasper Alley at Tapp’s until the end of June when the group photography exhibition, Still Here, is installed. Still Here features the work of Jackson Campbell, Perry McLeod, Nora Williams, Alexander McDonald, Jr., and TaJuan "TJ" Huiett.

TONIGHT at The Jasper Alley at Tapp's

Our DJ for the evening is Ubaeby!

Our Visual Artists

Josef Berliner

Alejandro García-Lemos

Tayler Simon

Barry J. White

Spotlight on Jasper's Featured Artists in the Jasper Alley at Tapp's in June: Jackie Bobo, Michael Morris Zamora, and Barry J. White

Read about showing YOUR work via one of the Jasper Project’s gallery spaces throughout the city and apply today!