Warm, If Not Hot Girl Summer Print

Jakia Monique, a Pennsylvania native, has seamlessly woven her artistic journey through the vibrant landscapes of New York City and the creative tapestry of Los Angeles over the past decade. A true Wanderlust, Jakia is more than an artist—she is a creator, a designer, and a nurturer of artistic communities. Her canvas extends beyond geographical boundaries, with artistic footprints left in cities such as Philadelphia, Atlanta, Paris, London, Cuba, and Berlin. These diverse experiences have shaped Jakia's worldview, fostering a profound global awareness of cultures and the intricate identities that define us. Embracing the esoteric, Jakia channels her insights into abstract paintings, where recognized figures give way to a rich tapestry of moods, moments, and unexplored viewpoints within ourselves. Beyond the canvas, Jakia's artistic prowess extends into the realms of fashion design, volunteer art instruction, and digital doodling. Her journey reached a milestone with her premier solo exhibition, "Abstractions in Blackness," in August 2020. This groundbreaking showcase was a testament to her resilience during the early months of isolation in New York City amid the global pandemic. For Jakia, color is a language, and her brushstrokes and thoughtful lines form a poetic dialogue with the canvas. Drawing inspiration from her unique ability to perceive colors in musical tones and sounds, she creates a synthesis that resonates with the viewer. Painting becomes a therapeutic and meditative journey through the canvas's depth, with the use of gold-leaf clusters serving as poignant expressions. Jakia's background in fashion design infuses her work with a keen sense of color stories. Neon hues dance alongside earthy muted tones, anchored by broad expressive brush strokes that echo the melodic flow of a song. Her work breathes with motion, akin to the spontaneous scatting in jazz—a rhythmic dance of colors and lines. While movement and color charm the observer, the true inspiration behind Jakia's work lies in the harmonies of music, the warmth of family, and the observations of life. Gospel music becomes a guiding force, lifting her spirits and providing reassurance in darker times. The phrasing of a song finds its parallel in the contemporaneous markings on her canvas.