Today we’d like to introduce you to Jamaal Eversley.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I stood at a crossroads during the start of senior year at Randolph High. Up to that point, I had taken every art class offered and had won a few art awards. My teachers believed I had promise as a young artist and would be a great candidate for art school. On the other hand, I was bright in math and excelled in the business classes I took. My beloved accounting teacher, spoke highly of this prestigious business school that she passed by on her daily walks and thought I should apply there. With that in mind I applied to five colleges that fall. None of them offered an art major, and one being Babson College, the college my accounting teacher loved. Now with graduation two months away, I received a letter in the mail from Babson College stating that not only did I get in but I had received a full tuition scholarship. My mother was ecstatic and the decision on where I would go to college was instantly made even though art, a big portion of my heart would be missing. I took the turn and decided that I will forget about art and make the best of the decision by becoming a Wall Street banker making beaucoup bucks!
Four years later, I was at a crossroads again. For the past four years at Babson, I had yet again taken every art class I could as well as any class that could feed my artistic soul. I did this while majoring in accounting and working as an intern for a renowned accounting firm in Boston. Months before graduation, I received a job offer from that accounting firm with a career goal paved to making those beaucoup bucks. Once more my mother was ecstatic but I was not happy. I was miserable and regretted the decisions I had made. I was an artist through and through. This alternative life that others dreamed and wanted for me, was not me. I had to start being honest with myself and making myself happy. I made the bold decision to turn down that job offer and declare myself as an artist. I graduated as one of the rare Literary Visual Arts concentration majors at Babson and went to NY for several months to learn acting. Soon after, I came back to Boston and I’ve been an artist creator and community organizer for the past eight years. This path hasn’t been the easiest, there has been many days that I wanted to quit but I keep striving. I haven’t looked back because I have kept true to myself and to what makes me happy. It was a bold move but I believe its better this way.
Please tell us about your art.
Growing up, I was playfully teased for looking nerdy and was consistently called Steve Urkel (I still get called Steve Urkel to this day). At that time I was deeply affected by it though I always laughed it off. I wanted to be part of the “cool crew” in school. As an adult, I look back at those times and realize that I should have embraced who I was and still am: a creative NERD. Today, that is the foundation of my artistic brand and my ongoing art series Nerd Meets World. Nerd Meets World abstractly follows the life of Spencer Q. Ward who is the personification of the zany nerd, with large, thick coke bottle glasses, outrageous polka dotted trousers and audacious striped sweaters. Each painting catches Spencer in the act of secretly professing his unrequited love for his best friend who has conveniently “friend zoned” him. This makes for a never dull moment in each painting. As a result, the viewer will see a propensity towards brilliantly bold blasts of color symbolizing the thrill from love and life. I ask my viewers to warmly embrace this ludicrous love lorn nerd through his woven web of romantic tales between him, a girl and the World.
My brand and art are meant for everybody; it’s meant for anybody willing to connect and allow their imagination to soar. I use color as my main tool to capture attention, kindle emotions and evoke a response. I enjoy using color in ways nobody else has thought of. My aim is to establish unique color schemes consisting of patterns and designs that are universally recognizable and can be understood and accepted by different communities and cultures. The goal of my art is to spur the juices of creative genius and put the “F” meant for “Fun” back into Fine Arts. As for my brand, I promote the belief that being your true authentic self is the boldest and most beautiful thing you can do to enhance your happiness. “Be Happy. Be Bold. Be You!”
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing artists today?
Trending today is fast fashion, fast food and now fast art due to the social media boom. This is great for the artist in the way that they can easily show their work and talent to an audience. However I feel that the process and the ability to build a strong brand and voice for one’s art is being lost in exchange. With trends coming as fast as they are going, it might be enticing for an artist to create pieces that might be popular today in order to gain more likes, followers…With that, it gets harder to find a true style that can be unique to that artist. I sometimes find myself tempted to create art that will be seen as “popular” but I find ways to continue to stay true to myself and my brand.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
There are several ways you can support and purchase my work:
By visiting my website which is jamonit.carbonmade.com
By following me on all the social medias @SirJayEvs
If you want to see my art in person, you can see and purchase artwork from my recent series “Smells Like Teen Spirit” currently being exhibited at the Revolution To Inspire Empowerment Center in Stoughton, MA (769 Washington Street)
Also, I am working on the next installment of Nerd Meets World which will consist of several collaboration pieces with great artist friends of mine as well as an unveiling of a fashion line that will be full of sass and nerdiness! Keep in touch with me to find out when this art and fashion show entitled F.R.I.E.N.D.S will happen. Thank you so much for your support!
Contact Info:
- Website: jamonit.carbonmade.com
- Phone: 617-930-0275
- Email: jmlevs88@aol.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sirjayevs/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sirjayevs
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/SirJayEvs
- Other: https://youtu.be/_O00JC6ECn8
Image Credit:
Pat Piasecki
Raha Talebinejad
Joan Vaccaro
Ami Tredo
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
