Jemila Isa British Nigerian, b. 1991

  • Overview
    Jemila Isa

    Jemila's work serves as an artistic conversation with her heritage, exploring and reimagining the lives of African women. She finds a deep connection with art that is often classified as outsider, naive, and folk.

    Jemila Isa is a contemporary British painter of Nigerian descent. Raised in London, her vibrant and emotive pictures delve into the female African experience, identity, and cultural heritage. Though she has never visited Nigeria, her paintings imagine the traditions, conformity, and subtle nuances of domestic life within the African communities of her ancestors.

     

    Her portraits of women are powerful and dignified, often highlighting the strength and resilience of her subjects. These works are more than representations of individuals but are also commentaries on the broader societal roles and expectations of women in Africa.

     

    Isa draws inspiration from a diverse group of artists, such as African American folk painters Sister Gertrude Morgan, Bill Taylor, Clementine Hunter and the Congolese husband-and-wife duo Albert and Antoinette Lubaki. Her work is deeply influenced by the Harlem Renaissance, a movement that sought to express racial identity and pride through bold colour and stylised form. Additionally, Isa finds significant inspiration in the contemporary multidisciplinary work of American artist Tschabalala Self.

     

     

    In addition to painting, Jemila creates assemblage sculptures and frame-by-frame animation. She has exhibited in London and Brussels and received an Arts Council England DYCP (Developing Your Creative Practice) grant in 2023.

    £350-£1,200

    Please email the gallery for information about paintings currently for sale

  • Works

  • JEMILA IN CONVERSATION

    PATRICK DAVIES TALKS WITH THE ARTIST

    WHEN DID YOU REALISE YOU WANTED TO BECOME AN ARTIST, AND WHY DID YOU CHOOSE PAINTING? DO YOU COME FROM A CREATIVE BACKGROUND?

    I have had a keen interest in the arts and all things creative ever since I was a small child. What has changed over the years is the mediums and materials I have used for my creative expression. It was writing in my childhood and teens, which then evolved to comic strips. I experimented with illustration and fashion in my late teens. Throughout my 20s, I focused on embroidery, puppet making and stop-motion animation. However, throughout this time, I did not consider myself an artist. I was raised in an environment that didn’t place much value on the arts. It wasn’t until last year (2023), when I decided to take a 12-month intensive fine art foundation course, that I started to see myself as an artist. I started painting consistently and discovered I enjoyed the process far more than other previously explored mediums.

     

    WHERE AND WHEN DID YOU STUDY AT ART SCHOOL? WHAT WAS THE EXPERIENCE LIKE AND WHAT DID YOU LEARN?

     
    I consider myself a self-taught artist, as most of my creative exploration has been entirely self-initiated. However, I completed a one-year intensive course at Morley College London - Chelsea Centre for Creative Industries. That was the catalyst for my experiments with mediums I had never considered, such as printmaking. I also started painting more frequently. However, aside from providing the briefs and deadlines, we were very much left to our own devices by the lecturers, which I appreciated as I tend to prefer independent creative exploration.
     

    YOUR SUBJECT IS CONCERNED WITH FEMALE AFRICAN IDENTITY AND EXPERIENCE. WHAT INFLUENCES FEED INTO THIS NARRATIVE?

     

    I would say that the main influence that feeds my narrative is me. I am an African female, so naturally, I am concerned about this subject. I don’t imagine being as invested or interested in it if I were born with another identity.

     

    YOU WERE BORN AND RAISED IN LONDON AND HAVE NEVER TRAVELED TO NIGERIA. WHAT SOURCE MATERIAL PLAYS INTO THE NARRATIVE OF YOUR WORK?

     

    Photographs from my mom’s youth growing up in Nigeria during the 60s, 70s and 80s, as well as stories told by family members, all play a huge role in informing my work. I also frequently turn to archival African studio photography as a source of inspiration. Some of my favourite photographers for this are Malik Sidibe, J.D Okahi, Seydou Keita, and Sanle Sory.

     

    YOUR PAINTINGS ARE SMALL AND INTIMATE AND CONVEY A SENSE OF NAIVETY. IS SCALE IMPORTANT, AND HOW DOES THE SENSE OF INNOCENCE ACCENTUATE WHAT YOU ARE TRYING TO COMMUNICATE? 

     

    I prefer to make smaller-scale works as I find the process flows more naturally. That said, I am currently working on larger images as I think it’s important to push myself. I have always resonated most with art typically considered outsider and naive folk-type. It moves me more than any other style. I always say that with time and practice, you can become a very skilful technical painter, but once it is lost, it’s almost impossible to reorient the brain to paint with the organic looseness of a child again. It is this very childlike looseness that I aspire to when painting. There is something universally disarming about the free drawings of a child, no matter how heavy or non-relatable the subject matter might be. The ‘innocent’ style of the work invites the viewer to lower their defences and look and listen for a while.

     

    WHICH OTHER ARTISTS DO YOU ADMIRE AND WHY? DO ANY DIRECTLY INFLUENCE YOUR WORK?

     

    A lot of the artists that I admire and get excited by would be considered naive. My favourites are Clementine Hunter, Bill Taylor, Sister Gertrude Morgan, David Aziz, Albert and Antoinette Lubaki, and Heitor Dos Prazeres. I am constantly inspired by how much they can communicate through their work, even with very loose, naive shapes and forms. I’m also very influenced by Harlem Renaissance artists such as William H. Johnson, Hayward L. Oubre, and Horace Pippin. I particularly love the way that they play with composition. As for contemporary, Tschabalala Self’s work and career trajectory is one that I greatly admire.

     

    DO YOU WORK ON MULTIPLE IMAGES AT THE SAME TIME?

     

    I try to work on one image at a time to avoid overwhelming myself, but I have worked on 2-3 images at a time on a few occasions.

     

    IS IT IMPORTANT HOW THE VIEWER REACTS TO YOUR WORK?

     

    How viewers react to my work is not of much importance as I have no control over how people will react. Hopefully, it will resonate and appeal.

     

    WHAT OTHER INTERESTS DO YOU HAVE?

     

    I am interested in everything, from the most virtuous hobby or activity to the most depraved; that’s the thing about being an artist. I don’t believe you can be one without being an aesthete. For me, that means I can be interested and excited about almost anything life offers, as long as it’s packaged and sold in a beautiful way.