Today we’d like to introduce you to Jamilah Adebesin Mason.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I was born in Chicago to foreign born parents. My mother is from Guyana, South America and studied Interior Design. My father is from Nigeria, Africa and attained a degree in Journalism. They exposed me to a variety of cultures and experiences, ensuring I was artistically enriched throughout my childhood. I inherited much of my parent’s artistic expression and transferred that into my daily life, spending much of my childhood drawing and writing stories. My creativity was fueled by several teachers during my elementary years at St. Mary of the Lake and by former high school art teachers Jean Lewis and Jennifer Reid. In 2009, I graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a BFA in Secondary Art Education.
I returned to my alma mater, Hillcrest High School as the fine arts teacher then went on to pursue an MFA in Digital Imaging and Independent Film at Governors State University. Much of my time is spent encouraging teenagers and creating a safe place for artistry to blossom. My artistic creativity flourished further while attaining my graduate degree, as my work became far more personal and expressive. I began to focus on deeply personal issues as a means to tell a story and provide solace.
Please tell us about your art.
I enjoy working with a variety of mediums, but for the past several years photography has been my instrument of choice. My work is composed of self-portraits, photographic journal entries documenting life experiences. Rather than writing my thoughts, I opted to visually recreate the emotions felt during a particular event. My first self-portrait series and focus of my master’s thesis, is titled Backlash: Moving from Negative to the Positive. This particular series is a personal exploration, documenting various insults, words (back lashes), and false ideologies that have instigated grief, yet caused self-reflection. I later created a series titled Soul of the Majesty, recounting the emotional awakening I was experiencing once I turned 30 and was expecting twin girls. Aside from admiring the aesthetic qualities of my work, I hope the viewer is able to grasp and relate to the concepts I am portraying.
Light hearted paintings of half eaten fruit is a major steer from my usual conceptual pieces but is an enjoyable focus at the moment. I am also currently working on a photo essay book, as well as screenwriting.
We often hear from artists that being an artist can be lonely. Any advice for those looking to connect with other artists?
Feeling lonely doesn’t necessarily mean that someone is completely alone. I often seek solitude to keep me with my thoughts, but I don’t stay in this position for too long. I make the time to visit museums, galleries, and other art gatherings to view the work of others and make human connections. Having friends who are artists also facilitates the opportunity to create community projects.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
My work can be viewed on my web site, www.aworkofjam.com as well as my various social media accounts.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.aworkofjam.com
- Phone: 872-256-0444
- Email: info@aworkofjam.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/a_work_of_jam/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AWorkofJAM/
Image Credit:
Fabie Ezife
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