Jon Aedyn King - Aedyn Jak

Jon Aedyn King aka 'Aedyn Jak' is a multimedia  artist,  writer and director. He uses the pen name Aedyn Jak for his books and the work that goes into those books; written, audio or visual, as well as some artworks. 

He is primarily a researcher, observer and traveler. He has his own take on the universe and the things witnessed around. It is that curiosity which amplifies his range of media and his artistic strides are reflected through that filter.

Aedyn Jak has five books to his name; Disquiet Milk (2015), Magic Rope (2017) PostHuman Blaze (2018) and most recently In Communion with Gods (2021) and launching soon Atavistic Love (2024). 

The books combine poetry and fictive prose with imagery. The thick debut Disquiet Milk's black and white gothic illustrations, parasitic poetry and sinister short stories received an interview in the Times of Malta and the publication earned an immediate audience, selling out its limited edition 1st and 2nd print. Shortly thereafter came the launch for Magic Rope with its supernatural short stories and dark theme poetry. The third publication PostHuman Blaze was published in December 2018, a blend of future download poetry and illustrated photography. Jak used himself as a visual canvas in this publication. Using face and body as symbolic canvas, we see the visual momentum Jak is becoming known for. Continuing and yet departing from his previous three works, In Communion with Gods takes on a strong spiritual component. Jak's writing style, which certainly doesn't hold back, has been described as gothic, subconscious, intense, spiritual, subversive and futuristic. Atavistic Love is in pre-launch now.  

​ The art varies between high-octane colour to monochrome - from ink illustrations to wood art and canvas paintings. The illustrations are either created, or else end up in the books. A few years ago, he began to work with wooden planks, developing a unique style on wood, with bright and vivid works ranging from the supernatural, to the whimsical, the extra-terrestrial to the haunting - totemic creatures to landscapes. These wooden artworks became known as his Jakplanks. in August 2023, Jon held his first art exhibition at the Malta Marriott Hotel for the Jakplanks series, sponsored by the hotel itself, Visit Malta and Beerhead. 

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He wrote and directed his first independent feature film, a mystery called; Case At Riddle Crossing in Tennessee in 2014.  He then wrote and directed a short film A Mocking Mile Tale in February 2018 - in collaboration with the Malta Film Commission which premiered in June 2019 and won best short at the Moody Crab Film Festival in India.  Jon also hosts a YouTube channel he created 'jonaedynking'; a mixture of short video narratives and tongue n' cheek social commentary, Darlene and The Hit Malta People which have amassed close to half a million views. 

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Jon studied in Malta and Australia, receiving a BA in Psychology & Communications and an MA in Film & Digital Image in Sydney. Magnetised to places far-away, he has spent a good portion of life living in the US, New Zealand, Brazil and Lithuania. With a thirst for adventure, he seeks out nature and archaeology, active exploration and an adrenalin rush. He has a keen curiosity in many things - from science to science-fiction, history, mythologies, art, archaeology, nature, music and the spiritual, all of which gets channelled into his work. He is currently journeying around the southwestern United States.