Tell us about who you are and what you do.
Hey, Hi My name is Jameel Charles, I'm 26 years old and currently reside in Brooklyn, NY as of right now I make art, mostly draw but would like to get into painting more. Hopefully this year I can start printing my own designs on clothing. I also take photos and want to get back into filming videos once I get the right camera in my hands again. I enjoy going out to sk8 on nice days, it's something that can be used as another escape from reality when I'm not feeling well or just stuck and also doubles as a workout!
I can't give a specific age, but finger painting, painting and drawing are my earliest memories of making art and that's in the single digits of my childhood. Art has always been a favorite subject of mine next to science, and you wouldn't have textbook illustrations without artists and I think that's pretty cool. I think I started to take my art seriously in high school probably in the 10th grade, right before that I was super into anime (and still am) so that's all I would really ever draw at the time.
What's your favorite part about being creative?
My favorite part of being creative is probably making things others can't and then having it bring joy to people who see it later on and then can relate to it in some way. It feels amazing to find something you're great at because you can only get better and it can take you so far, I'll leave more of this for 6 & 10.
What's one of your favorite pieces you've done?
Hmmmm, theres definitely more than one favorite piece but I don't know if I have one that really stands out above all just yet. If I had to choose a really unique piece to me it would probably be a painting I did of Trump called "Agent 45" and it's a painting of him golfing and in the horizon is a mushroom cloud from a bomb that just dropped or it could've been a hole in one, either way it seems like politics are just games adult sized babies like to play, at least that's what it looks like to me.
Who/what are some of your biggest inspirations?
Biggest inspirations, well I guess I'd like to shout out my wonderful girlfriend Chiloe who is currently on the other side of the world, but she keeps me grounded, gives the same push as my mother and more on another level. With that being said there is also my mother and the strong women in this world, literally the strongest people on this planet and we fail to remember that at times. The coming up of Basquiat, to story of struggling putting in the work and become something bigger, just the black community in general, we've come so far. We built this country out the dirt not to discredit anyone else underneath the hardships but our story is different so I'm also more than happy to see excellence on the rise, it's a wholeheartedly joyous feeling. It's nice to see people who look like you doing good in life. That then brings me to my friends and myself, when you're going through that journey of trying to make it somewhere and you're pretty much doing it on your own find your friends who are doing the same and stick with them. You won't get anywhere in life if you surround yourself with people that can't even help themselves, in fact they'll probably end up dragging you down with them and life doesn't work like that, for it only goes forwards. YOU can't make moves if YOU don't set yourself in motion.
What's some advice you'd give to fellow artists?
Damn I think I wrote it all out in question 5 lmao. Do not stop creating, once you see you have the potential to do something good and others see that in you keep putting in work and strive to get better. You will think you did something amazing once but if you stick to it a little later down the road you will out do yourself and say wow, I didn't think I could surpass myself. You are your own competition, but also find balance, take breaks and breathe because you also don't want to go to war with yourself, that can lead to stress.
How is your personality reflected in your work?
Well I guess I put my feelings and emotions into my drawings/doodles, and add a couple words. Usually the images I draw describe how I'm feeling or what I think about whatever I am drawing. I do not take it lightly either, I will be straight up honest in my work, whenever someone asks to look inside my sketchbooks I'll be like "Hell yeah!!! Go right ahead but enter at your own risk." I feel like sometimes I can still be a pretty reserved person at times but it always takes a couple seconds for me to realize who I am and that I could give a fuck less about other peoples opinions, less stress for me honestly :)
Music you've been listening to lately?
Okay so again back to my friends, I think all the music I've been listening to recently have been local and people I know personally. First we have my friend John and his band over @huck_nyc, very dreamy sounds, gooey intimate bedrooms vibes, and I am happy to have known this good man for several years now. John has been there for me through thick and thin and I've also had the pleasure of making some art for him and I am hoping this friendship stays pretty tight for years to come. When I want to relate to things on another personal level but on a whole different level I put my headphones and tap in to the words of my brother Mike (@mikelikesrap), he truly does it for the culture and not for the clout. It's hard to find people that are actually humble and he embodies all of that, he just speaks facts and nothing less. When I didn't know of Mike at the time Earl Sweatshirt gave me exactly that feel and still does especially with his new album that just dropped in December, funny enough now they're both pretty good friends and I called it. Another band with very "gooey" melty synth sounds would have to be @triathalon, and they definitely get me in my feels and they currently are in Brooklyn when they aren't on tour. An album I am highly anticipating is coming from another group of close friends with people that i've literally grew up with, whether it be school or skateboarding these are more people I love to call my day ones and that's @thebasementsounds and they have an album dropping any day now and it's going to have a wide range of sounds and I'm very very excited. Other people I'd like to mention are my good homies over at @TheWrong Islanders/TaseGrip, the bro @nycl_kai, @standingonthecorner, @jaycritch and @djfleshly, love you all so much.
Favorite place in NYC to chow down?
My favorite places in NYC to grab something to eat...well I guess it all depends on what your mood is. I guess we can start with Cheekys, a little sandwich shop located in the Lower East Side of the city and is a well known spot amongst the skaters on NYC. The sandwiches there pair really well with the ginger beer beverage they sell. If I want a quick snack that could also fill me up would probably be dumplings or just anything off the menu at North Star dumpling. Another small spot that can be located in the LES with very good prices. Probably still the most popular food in NYC is your pizza slice and if I’m in the area I’d have to say my favorite spot to go to for years now is Anna Maria’s and that’s in Williamsburg (Brooklyn). They have some pretty thicc slices and it’s just amazing. Would like to give 5 Guys Burgers and fries a big shoutout as well, definitely a favorite burger spot of mine and they always bless it with too many fries.
Anything else you'd like to add?
Yeah I guess to keep it simple I would just like to say, don’t stop creating, I’m saying this to the folks that visualize things and make it reality. There are so many things that wouldn’t be here with out us artists and that world would be such a dull boring place. It’s probably been one of the earliest forms of the human mind at work and it’s left a big mark in every part of our history and it will continue to do so. Things might be tough and you might get stuck but someone out there will appreciate what you do as long as you find what you’re good at and that it makes you feel accomplished when you’re finally finished.
Follow Jameel Charles on Instagram (@jamz.calm)