A #ScarboroughSpotlight on Just J. Art
Soul Fruit by Just J. Art
This month, we’re pleased to feature Just J. Art as our Scarborough Spotlight, a multidisciplinary artist of Jamaican heritage.
With every brushstroke, Just J. Art uses a treatment of bold colours and layers of organic shapes to explore stories in a new light.
The fuel for Just J. Art’s inspiration is in nature, music, culture and her spiritual journey. Though in-person, she may seem like a woman of few words, her loud imagination pours out through her creative expression.
Her artistic journey began in early childhood, designing and sewing doll clothing out of fabric scraps, to painting intricate designs on her nails as an adolescent. She’s always known how to reimagine what’s around her and repurpose to create something new. This practice never left her side, as she’s grown into her artistic journey, transforming ideologies into visual poetry with her hands.
Just J. Art is a Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) graduate, with a Bachelor of Technology in Graphic Communications Management, with a concentration in Graphic Output. Her works have been featured in the VIBE Arts NExT program, Worth Gallery, Rising VR, Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), City Of Toronto Employment & Social Services (Etobicoke), and Brampton’s Emancipation Park, and most recently, Scarborough Arts & Mural Routes’ Scarborough Arena Gardens mural project.
Sweet & Sour Sop, by Just J. Art
Sweet & Sour Sop is an Afrofuturistic portrayal of two sisters sitting on sweet/soursop leaves while embodying femininity and the healing benefits of both fruits.
Like the plants, their jewelry are symbols of protection, cleanliness and the journey of life. These sisters bond with each other in the present, reflect on healing methods of the past, and opt for a future of divine healing for women and themselves.
The Earrings they wear...
Duafe; wooden pick
care, cleanliness and natural beauty
Nkyinkyim; means “twisting”
depicts the twists and turns in the journey of life, requiring one to be versatile, resilient and have survival skills.
Tropic Solitude, by Just J. Art
At the center of this mural, a woman inspired by the pineapple fruit symbolizes warmth, welcoming energy, and community. Her orange hue reflects the glow of ripe tropical fruit and the presence of her background in the current neighborhood which she’s painted in. She stands as the human connection to land and nourishment of the body and spirit.
Just J. Art finds fulfillment in nurturing young minds and fostering creativity through art coordination; helping aspiring artists to embrace their imagination and think outside of the box has become an art form of its own.
For Scarborough artists finding their footing, she shares: “Give yourself space to explore, experiment, and create things that don’t always make sense right away. That’s how you start to understand your voice.”
Through her brand, Just J. Art’s goal is to engage, shift perspectives, and inspire. Enriching the world with messages of light and love.
“Take your work seriously early on and don’t downplay your talent. The way you treat your practice will shape how others treat it too.”
Janadian Bluez, by Just J. Art
“This concept uses vibrant colour to illustrate the commonalities of the two nations, how both have influence and can inspire others. This design blends the natural environment; the national fruits (blueberries and ackee), official flowers (White Trillium & Lignum Vitae), and the common mountain landmark that both countries have (Blue Mountain). It reflects how the two seamlessly work mesh to influence others like myself. The mountains and sun of the two lands combine to become one - enhancing the principle of unity and the infamous “one people” and “one love” philosophy that both Canada and Jamaica hold close to the core of their principles."
