Today we’d like to introduce you to Jorge Jimenez.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Jorge. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I immigrated to the United States in 2004 at the age of eight from Colombia. I came from a middle-class family growing up in a different environment from what I was about to face. I moved around different towns in Massachusetts living with different relatives until finally living with my father in Framingham, MA where I currently reside. It wasn’t easy getting used to this country and its system, especially after feeling like I didn’t quite belong and like I was different. High school was kind of a struggle academically, plus trying to fit in and finding myself mad enough it more challenging. I hadn’t gotten much encouragement in general until I took an art class my sophomore year. I always knew I had the potential for a lot of things but never really got pushed to pursue them, but at this point, art became an option for me. After taking many art classes including drawing, painting, design, and ceramics, pursuing a career in the art world was very appealing.
Since both of my parents have a graphic design degree from Colombia, I figured it was only natural I would pursue art. I believe I am the artist I am today, thanks to my many teachers and professors, especially my two art teachers from high school. One of those teachers was a MassArt alumnus, so she encouraged me to attend MassArt. After spending a year in Quinsigamond Community College getting some credits out of the way, I started my MassArt career in 2014. Basically, at first, I was taking many different classes to figure out what field I wanted to pursue although I knew it would end up being illustration. I found myself struggling junior year because I was working in different media such as watercolor, graphite, acrylic and I thought that versatility was better than being good at something specific, which was not the case. Eventually, in my senior year, I found a way and style I liked to work in using charcoal and graphite with digital color. After having graduated college, I met a lot of great people and artists and I’m glad I attended MassArt because I feel it was the perfect school I needed and one that shaped me into the person I am. Since having graduated, I have been working at Michaels Arts and Crafts to save up some money. I will be traveling to Colombia soon for about two months and after coming back, I plan on moving to New York City with my friend and start a new life.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The biggest struggle for me along the way was being a first generation immigrant to this country because with that come many disadvantages. I’ve been living with my dad for the past nine years and money has been an issue because he has been struggling to find jobs due to his degree not being validated here, so we’ve had to work extra hard just to make it by. Support from friends and family has helped but at some point, you want to make it on your own. Not fitting in in high school was a struggle that I’ve now embraced because it made me stand out. Freshman year at MassArt was probably my toughest year, but also the most liberating year. I was dealing with a new environment in a new city and everything seemed fresh and exciting along with meeting new people and experiences.
However, I was still working two jobs, one at a bakery and the other one as a cashier while commuting to school four days a week. The commute would take me around one hour 45 minutes taking the commuter rail and then the green line. It was exhausting at first and I remember falling asleep on the train and in classes often. But the train became sort of a comfortable place for me where’s I could zone out, relax and listen to music as I watched nature, sunrises, and commuters on a daily basis. Looking back now, I was learning a lot. I am very fortunate to have friends who would let me sleep over their dorms and I’ll never forget the countless amounts of people that helped me along the way and all the different beds and couches I slept in the past four years. Not having my license has also been sort of the ultimate struggle because I live in a town where public transportation isn’t very accessible, but soon, I’ll be living in New York City where that will change.
Alright – so let’s talk work. Tell us about more about it – what should we know?
I am an illustrator specializing in editorial illustration but also capable of venturing into other fields including gallery art. I am known for having a surreal and whimsical touch to my drawings that I render in graphite and apply digital color afterwards. I also enjoy working with charcoal on a larger scale because it gives me enough room to create a landscape and imagery that might be unexpected, playing with the size of subjects and the environment. I am proud of a style that I’ve developed drawing inspiration from other artists but not as far as to become parallel with them. I believe my pieces carry an emotional aspect and when I’m dealing with a topic or a prompt, the final piece reveals something deeper, the subconscious, a feeling.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Determination is key for me. I feel like success becomes obtainable when you have determination, drive, and discipline. Given my background story and all I’ve done to get to this point, I feel as though success is my only option. When you’re willing to sacrifice, work hard and take risks, that becomes determination which leads to success.
Contact Info:
- Website: jorgejimenezart.com
- Phone: 7742878811
- Email: jorgejimenezart@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jorgejimenez_art
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003319846082
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/jorgewithaheadband
Image Credit:
Michael Konstansky, Edwin Peralta, Quinn Field
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