Julian Jamaal Jones
Julian Jamaal Jones memorializes Black culture by presenting fresh perspectives while presenting creative freedom within traditional landscapes. His unique practice communicates through the historical language of African American quilting tradition by implementing abstract forms and vibrant colors in his works to bypass the preconceptions and open conversations around his Black experience.
Having grown up in a strict, Christian household on the northside of Indianapolis, in a predominantly white neighbourhood. Raised in the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, Julian learned the value of the Black community. But surrounded by whiteness, he dealt with loneliness and social anxiety. Jones didn’t want to be seen or identified by his white peers. After school, he would recuperate by watching 106 & Park on B.E.T. Watching videos of Lil’Kim, Missy Elliot, Crime Mob, and Lil Wayne, where he witnessed people who looked like him. 106 & Park introduced him to Black hip-hop culture, which influences all aspects of his practice.
Julian best expresses himself through sketching. His drawings are colorful, abstract, gestural, and ultimately unexplainable. Even he can’t quite comprehend what comes out of his sketchbook. Due to his learning disability, drawing has been his most direct form of communication. Julian approaches the making of quilts as a sketching process, working quickly to creatively process the sense of alienation that comes from being a Black man in white spaces.
Check out Julian’s work below!