Meet the Artist:

Interview with Jonah Elijah

Jonah Elijah, a native of Houston's Third Ward, Texas, his work transcends time, drawing upon his personal memories and upbringing. Within his narratives, he delves deep into identity, through mediums of portraiture, language, and mass media.

Where are you in your creative journey? How did you get there?

Right now in my creative journey I'm a full time visual artist based in Los Angeles, Ca. I got here by never giving up on my dream. In 2017 I was living in Houston, Tx, I had recently just graduated with my Bachelors of Art from the University of Texas at San Antonio ( spring 2017) . In the fall of 2017 I started applying for grad schools all over the US to continue my study in Art. Claremont Graduate University accepted me into their MFA (Masters of Fine Art) program for the fall 2018. So I took the offer and never looked back. I received my Masters in 2020 and now Im still here striving to become a better artist day by day.

Has community impacted your artlife and style? If so, how so?

Community definitely has a huge impact on my art life and style. Im not sure if I would make the art that I make if I didn't have community. Community is the source of inspiration that helps me tell the stories I tell on canvas. The community that I grew up in and the community that Im in now is something Im grateful for everyday because it shapes my perspective on life and it makes my style easy and recognizable.

What advice would you give to an artist just starting their art career?

Advice that I would give to an artist just starting there career is to become the ultimate student of the technical side of art and the history art. Watch all the documentaries, interviews, read the books, and still maintain your practice. Never stop being a student.

What does success in the art world look like for you?

Success in the art world for me is to do a residency making art in each continent of the earth.

What exciting endeavors lie ahead for you? What can our community anticipate from your future ventures, and how can they support?

This August I have a solo exhibition with my alma mater, Claremont Graduate University. I also will be releasing my fourth self published coloring book (Figments of Imagination 4) this fall. Be on the look out for that and my future ventures via instagram (@Jonah.elijah) and my website (jonahelijah.com).