Jamil's Art
I was born in Los Angeles California, but I grew up in Lowell, Massachusetts, a mill city north of Boston.
Throughout my life I have always expressed myself through artistic mediums. Unlike music and writing, drawing has been my oldest artistic vocation. In grade school I excelled in Art class whether I was drawing pictures, molding clay, or making posters. During classroom time I would spend time drawing replications of characters from Japanese Anime shows such as Dragon Ball Z. By the time I was in high school I would regularly complete small pieces of artwork for my own collection and to show to my friends.
Drawing for me is another form of yoga; yoga meaning a process by which I unify the faculties of my mind and body; taking delight in the mere pleasure of existence and expression of self. By the age of seventeen the abstract and intellectual appeal of psychedelic art, music, and thought, inspired my first art series; the Transcend Series.
The Transcend Series represents the knowledge and spiritual growth I have gone through over the last five years. I regularly practice transcendental meditation, and other spiritual exercises in order to unite my mind body and soul to a unified frequency of vibration in which my thinking mind is silent; and I feel myself melt into an expanded unified field of sensory perception and energy that is synonymous with a state of mind I call God, Love, and Cosmic Consciousness.
Throughout my spiritual journey this state of consciousness has provided me with many insights and illuminations about my self-identity and purpose of life. The most profound and life transforming revelation that I have had is the ultimate unity and interrelation between all life forms, and all of existence.
As I progressed through the years I sought verification of my perspective with others throughout history who have related similar experiences. Through my search I discovered Vedic literature, Zen Buddhism, Esoteric Christianity, Hermeticism and the Kabbalah. These differing perspectives all confirmed what I had come to have faith in; existence of a transcendental other that pervades all of creation. I obtained a universal spiritual perspective that recognized the countless ways in which various cultures of the world have defined this perennial wisdom about human’s composition and relation to the universe.
I attribute my spiritual awakening in large part to my Haitian heritage. Haitian people practice the ancient African religion of Vodou, which like the Kabbalah of Judaism, focuses on the intricate relations between Man and the cosmos.
I created these works of art as a way to express realities and experiences that are often deemed as in-expressible, non-verbal or mystical. It is my genuine hope that whoever views my art will be inspired towards a reality that transcends our own; a reality verified by knowledge, experience and faith; a reality so fundamental to human existence that it can serve as beacon of light; a reassurance that provides understanding, joy and strength that enables one to persevere through life, in spite of the many cruelties and hardships that exist. May these works fill you with feelings of wonder, joy, and contentment.
Peace and Prosperity unto you and yours,
Jamil Jean-Jacques