The following feature on St. Pete muralist Reid Jenkins is sponsored by Trevor Burgess and Gary Hess, along with Metro Inclusive Health.
Jason Harvin, aka Wayward Walls, is a prolific geometric abstractionist adding wild bursts, lines, and shapes of color all over the Tampa Bay region. Harvin, who grew up in Germany, has been exposed to fine art, street art, graffiti and the like his entire life. He’s moved from one open-air art gallery to another. Today you can view his work behind Zubrick Magic Theatre in the EDGE District. Brilliant shades of orange and blue are decisively slashed by diagonal black bars. It’s a captivating solar system of shapes bisected by idiosyncratic dividing lines. For those who ever enjoy Super Mario 64, his massive SHINE St. Pete Mural feels like a painting we could jump into.
ADVERTISEMENT
Wayward Walls wasn’t always an artist on paper. Harvin came to painting and mural work just a few years ago. An adoration and love for the form has long been in his DNA, and his first project came inside of his own home. Once his neighbors saw what he did, they commissioned him to do the same in their homes. Word of mouth spread and before long Harvin’s geometric abstract style was finding its way into the kitchens, dens, and outdoor patios of homes across the region.
“I fully believe in the power of painting and art and what it can do to revive and renew public/private spaces,” Harvin writes in his artist statement. “From chef’s table restaurants, apartment buildings, dental studios and law offices, I’ve assisted with the transformation of businesses and homes in my abstract geometric art style.”
His first true exposure to the local mural scene came during the painting of the enormous Black Lives Matter mural on the street outside the Dr. Carter G Woodson African American Museum. Harvin worked on the letter “L” along with more than a dozen other artists in the region. Just a couple of months ago, Harvin participated in Green Book of Tampa Bay’s Emancipation Day event. His mural can be seen inside the Studio@620 alongside fellow mural staple Zulu Painter. 
His mural was inspired by the anecdote, “one step forward, two steps back.” For Harvin, he wanted to highlight that it take consistent, persistent action to affect change.
You can follow his work on his website, in addition to Instagram where he posts process videos of his work. See all the videos in the mural series here.
The artist has worked with law offices, dentistry practices, bars, restaurants, nail salons, and private residences for his work. Those interested in learn more can find information here.
ADVERTISEMENT
