A CONVERSATION WITH ILLUSTRATOR AND PAINTER JAKMAN
Paris-BASED Senegalese-Guinean artist Junior
aka JAKMAN expresses himself about personal LIFE AND PHILOSOPHY AND SHARE HINTS ON HIS ICONIC, IDEAL COWBOY.
By Clarisse Prévost
Hey Junior, how are you doing ?
I’m good, I’m always good.
-
You’re Senegalese, right ? What’s your relationship with Dakar and the French suburb you grew up in ? Is there a place you like to be the most or like to maintain a balance ?
I’m Senegalese Guinean ! I don’t really have a relationship with Dakar because I left Senegal when I was 4 years old. After 20 years spent in France, I returned there last year for the first time. I think I prefer to be in French suburbs because I grew up there my entire life.
-
How and when did you start painting and drawing ? Is that the first form of art that attracted you ?
I started drawing at the age of 10, I drew in my notebooks, I was trying to reproduce characters from comics and manga. I was drawn to comics a bit by default because as a child, I never really liked to read. I have always needed a few images to give me the urge to read.
« Jakman is the ideal version of me. I'm a very shy person, so i createD this character in order to make myself an extrovert. »
On all of your paintings, you introduce what makes your art’s signature : the urban, poetic, sensitive, confident and elegant cowboy with his emblematic Stetson hat. Is he an ideal version of you ? How is he ? What makes you close and different from you ?
Yes, Jakman is the ideal version of me. I'm a very shy person, so I created this character in order to make myself an extrovert.The personality of my character is determined, open minded, instinctive, charming, elegant, naive, quick witted and savage.
What represents this scorpio that often slips on the image, as a subject, tattoo or as a jacket brand ?
The Scorpio represents my astrological sign. People say it's the worst one, that's why I put light on it.
-
What is your creative process ? Do you create every day ? What’s a typical Jakman day ?
My creative process is simple : I draw what I experience or what I would like to experience. I do quick sketches everyday. They are not really Jak typicals days, I'm a really disorganized person, I just take life as it comes.
-
What artists, projects have you been listening to lately ?
Right now, I'm listening to Rondodasosa's project Trenches Baby on repeat.
-
Cinema is an art that inspires you. Can you give me examples of movies that moved you, all along the way ?
Yes, cinema is an art that inspires me enormously and if I had to choose a film it would be The Return of an Adventurer by Moustapha Alassane. It's the first African western, it's an incredible short film, thanks to Lamine for recommending it to me.
Same for anime and comics. Which one impacted and how ? Also, which one you recently would recommend ?
The mangas and comics that inspire me are Spirou, Gaston Lagaffe, Tintin, Babar, and the mangas of Osama Tezuka. Right now I'm reading the latest scans of One Piece.
-
Is that an ambition for you to turn your painting into an animation or a comic ?
Yes being a big fan of cartoons and comics, I always wanted to create some.
« to be connected to my inner child, I try to stay naive. »
Looking through your paintings, we can feel that your mom is extremely important to you. What are some values, qualities or philosophy she transmitted to you ?
Indeed, my three mothers are very important and I would like to make them proud and happy. They motivate me to work hard. I want to allow them to end their lives in good conditions.
-
How do you challenge yourself and your creativity ?
I motivate my creativity by going out every day, meeting people, going to events, traveling, listening to advice from older people and by dreaming.
-
How do you remain peaceful, joyful and satisfied with yourself ?
I try to be humble, my entourage helps me a lot. I also try to give them back .
-
BONUS QUESTIONS
HOW DO YOU STAY CONNECTED TO YOUR INNER CHILD ?
I stay connected to my inner child by staying naive. To be amazed in front of anything and everything, to discover new things. It's a bit like refusing to grow up but the thing is when you refuse to grow up you get eaten, you get eaten alive, people take advantage on you that's not the goal. The goal of every human being, I think, is to evolve. To learn new things, to move forward. To become stronger in the things we like, to start a family. Naive is not the right solution, but to be able to remain connected to my inner child, I have to keep this little naive side of mine. I think that's what my close circle of friends likes about me, and they help me a lot not to be fooled by others.
-
WHAT WOULD A YOUNGER VERSION OF YOU BE THINKING ABOUT YOU RIGHT NOW ?
The younger version of me would think that I didn't reach my goals. I thought I would be known in the art world by the time I was 20, 21 years old but my career has just now begun. He would be a little disappointed but if I had him in front of me I would tell him that it takes time. And that it's going to take as long as it takes, but that we'll get there. I haven't let go of the goal. Art is a medium where you can't just come in and pop. Well, you can, but it's complicated. Especially because I don't want to stay in the moment, but in the long term.
-
HOW WOULD DESCRIBE YOUR COWBOY’S PERSONALITY ?
It's a bit the opposite of my personality. I created him to become this character, in the future. I would describe him as a determined person, naive - something I’m also – and very instinctive. He doesn't think too much, he is in the action. When something happens, he goes straight to it. I would also say elegant, that's a little feature I'm starting to have. Quick-witted. He's still shy, but not really. More when he’s around a girl.
-