Artist Statement
One could easily create an artifact that represents an emotion, as a heart represents love. However, I’d rather create work that makes my audience experience authentic emotions. I want to awaken their empathy and an awareness of the inclusive nature of our existence through a communal experience of human emotions, even if it means being a little cheesy.
I believe this work is important because we live in a jaded time where snarky banter has replaced words of conviction; where sentimentality is undercut by humor; where content replaced art, and artists morphed into content creators; where it’s never been easier to connect and yet still feel so isolated.
I believe in the power of storytelling and art to reconnect us with what makes us uniquely human, especially in the context of communal art experiences like exhibits, live concerts, and theater. My work draws on and explores four major themes in my life:
For most of my life I let fear prevent me from living the life that was true in my heart. I'm grateful to finally understand that there is nothing to fear, and that anything is possible if I improve 1% everyday.
Jelani Julyus
Recent Work
