Today we’d like to introduce you to Jaymes Josef.
Jaymes, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
Ever since I can remember I was interested in art. At the age of 16, I started doing graffiti. I enjoyed tagging on things, all things. I wanted to be everywhere in the city. It was like a disease. But I had to eventually slow down on being a vandal. There were a few arrests along with some graffiti wars that got pretty violent. Spending time behind bars and violence wasn’t what I wanted from life. I eventually started drawing and at the age of 21, I started to turn my doodles into paintings.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I draw and paint whatever I feel at the moment. Sometimes I plan a piece out but most of the time I just go with the flow. I like creating my own animals and creatures. I’m not sure if there’s a certain message, creating stuff just kind of releases tension and it feels good to just freely express myself. I would like people to see the raw emotion that my work displays. I have no formal training and I consider myself more of an outsider.
Do current events, local or global, affect your work and what you are focused on?
I try to keep the real world out of my work.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
I post stuff on Instagram and I’m always looking for more people to see my work. It would be nice to get into more galleries. Sometimes I don’t put myself out there enough but honestly, I prefer more of a DIY approach. I’m open to people stopping by my studio/apartment to see what I’m working on.
Contact Info:
- Email: jaymesjosefchicago@gmail.com
- Instagram: jaymesjosef
Image Credit:
Galerie F Melissa Ness Wallberg Bite Cafe
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