Today we’d like to introduce you to Brielle Jolie.
Hi Brielle, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Hey, my name is Brielle Jolie. I think it’s interesting when people ask what’s your story? all of a sudden we ask ourselves what’s so important about me.? I like to believe that I’m a person who inspires others. When I see people truly believing in themselves and pursuing their passion it brings me the ultimate joy.
As a person, I am creative in all aspects of my life I am in my last year at Columbus College of Art and design as a fine artist. As well I have been modeling now for four years and have been able to work with such great worldwide brands and still thank God for all of these opportunities which are another creative expression for me.
Recently while being in front of the camera I am loving to be behind the camera in my last year focusing on black documentaries of creatives in Columbus Ohio. I’ve come to realize about as long as I’m creating I’m at my happiest.
For me my family has been a big support system in my art especially when it comes to my mother and grandparents I’ve been able to always express myself truly around them as a young kid being able to count on people who believe in you is one of the biggest reasons why I am who I am today.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
When it comes to obstacles I’ve been facing recently as an artist, especially a black artist. People will continue to put you in a box to say what you can and cannot paint and create and for me, as an artist, I believe there are no limits to creating. I focus only on painting black women and men in my work depicting them in bright colors and lively patterns.
The meanings behind my paintings often show another side of microaggressions as well as a solemnness or sadness covered by bright colors. Showing the reality of Black people in life especially when it comes to me as an artist here at Columbus College of Art and design I have been pushed into a box and have faced microaggressions that have had a toll on my creativity.
Luckily I have a great support system and refused to fit myself in a box and believe I’m being “ rebellious“ by choosing to paint black people only. Because my question is why isn’t it rebellious when artists only Choice to paint white people?
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Life gets messy sometimes and what anchors me as an artist is the ability to mix, blend and trust the process of unfolding on a canvas and, quite similarly, in my life. My work primarily consists of mixed media pieces, photography, and film. One of the biggest things that influence my art is the community I’ve grown around being a black woman in this world we have to prove everything twice and work twice as hard.
I have a black woman as the focus of my work to create an alternate world where black women are praised for all skin colors, and hair types and to push the boundaries of what love should look like. The overall theme of my paintings talks about the vast meaning of love. whether that’s in relationships, friendships, or in one’s self I often use water to connect to that idea throughout my pieces.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
I would say my essential qualities would be inspiration, love, and determination. Ever since that kid I always knew what I wanted to be I wanted to model I wanted to be an artist and have been told from all walks of life that what I chose to pursue would never be a real career.
I never once looked at any of those people with bitterness or anger I feel like the younger me didn’t understand why I was being told I would never make it in these careers but now as a young adult, I look at them with love because I dare to pursue my dreams when often they weren’t able to, especially of the older generations it was a different time with different responsibilities.
When it comes to love that’s the biggest way for me to move through life it’s one of my biggest focuses in art I believe love is the founder of everything not the cliché of love. But the realness of the struggle of Love the actions you take in the name of love that is true and pure.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://paradigm7.squarespace.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bhappygolucky/?hl=en
- Youtube: https://youtu.be/zMz9-fDFmBQ
Image Credits
@rustandbonemedia, @_ira.g, @nicoleonemiller, and @nikole irene
