Joe Jurkiewicz is a visual artist whose paintings explore themes of desire, loneliness, anxiety and exaltation. Pulling influences from street art and fashion illustration, he creates perplexing surreal imagery developed in sketchbooks, where he explores new ideas, mark making and surrounding influences. He graduated from the Kansas City Art Institute of May 2016 with a major in Illustration.
*
What would you like people to know most about your art?
That my work comes from my imagination. I find joy and catharsis while creating art and I want people to feel that in some way.
What is your creative process, and what is the most challenging part? The most rewarding?
My creative process mainly comes from the element of play. I tend to have fun while creating art-not holding to any standards or having any fear of the end result. I simply allow my work to become what it is intended.
From where do you gain inspiration?
Almost anything and everything. Talking to people, listening to music, playing video games, watching movies and drawing what I see.
What wisdom/insight would you share with your past self if you could?
Haha I would tell myself to draw more and work harder. I was young, lazy and didn’t know that hard work would pay off.
If you could recommend a book, musical artist/track/album, and movie what would they be?
Book I would recommend “start with why” by Simon Sinek. Japanese DJ producer Nujabes. Movie to watch is “Requiem for a Dream”. A must!
