The cover of the March 2024 issue of Apex Magazine features the piece, “Germination,” by Caroline Jamhour. Caroline has been the cover artist for Apex Magazine before and we are delighted to have her back, sharing more of her soulful and ethereal characters with us.
Bradley Powers: “The characters I portray are messengers from these ethereal realms, with their own stories to tell.” As an artist myself I connect with your sentiment here, because I feel as though ideas either spark from personal experience or that they are not from me or my life at all, but that it’s my responsibility to put them in the world. Can you elaborate on your characters and their stories?
Caroline Jamhour: I feel like my characters come both from me and through me. It’s like my inner world is bigger than myself—the process of creation doesn’t seem to come from something that is stored inside of me, but more like something blowing through me, being tinted by my own personal experiences and personality. A sort of universal creative urge. As these characters take form, they are now in the world, free to tell their own stories.
BP: There are many connections between your work and traditional Renaissance work: the expressions, positions, and facial features of your figures, the soft lighting that beautifully highlights faces, and the title “Vanitas,” a genre that was popular in the Renaissance that used symbols of mortality. Are you directly influenced by the Renaissance period or any other period of art? If so, what about this period of art history resonates with you?
CJ: I look at a lot of art, and I find that I naturally absorb styles and mannerisms even though I’m not necessarily referencing those things directly. We are naturally attracted to forms and aesthetics that resonate with us and they become part of our personal imagery. The Renaissance period is among my references, with their interest in the beauty of natural forms, but if I had to choose a period of art that has a more significant influence on me it would be Symbolism! I’m drawn to the depth and subjectivity of symbolic representations.
BP: Your Instagram bio mentions symbolism. Can you point out and/or explain some of the symbols that frequently appear in your work?
CJ: Symbolism in my work manifests as representations of subjective and abstract concepts. My characters embody sensations, inner experiences, feelings, maybe a hidden story ... a sense of meaningfulness that can be very subjective. I think most of my works express a contemplative state, solitude, melancholy. Some recurring symbols are stars, birds, and wings. These elements resonate with me on a deep level. They can mean a variety of things, and I prefer not to delve too much into descriptive explanations because I appreciate that their significance is more about being felt and intuited than intellectually interpreted, but stars, for instance, can symbolize guidance and inspiration.
BP: The story of an artist is always interesting as there is no one “correct” way to be an artist. What is your background as an artist and how have you reached your current state as someone who posts and sells their art?
CJ: It has been a very organic process, following a natural impulse to create and share. I’ve been drawing since childhood, and began sharing my work online as soon as I gained access to art sharing platforms. Ironically, when I was young I didn’t really plan to pursue art professionally, fearing this could ruin the joy of it for me. Unfortunately, having art as work indeed can have its impact on the creative process, but the support and appreciation from those who value my creations bring me great joy.
BP: As an artist who sells prints, stickers, stationary, and other products featuring your art, how much of your creative process is dedicated to creating sellable products?
CJ: The commercial aspect of selling art can, in fact, be quite challenging for me! Sometimes, it can be fun to create items specifically for that purpose, to be part of people’s lives in more practical ways. However, I prefer that the main focus of my art and the motives that move me, are “art for art’s sake”.
BP: Thank you, Caroline, for this peek into your fantastical artistic journey! You can read Caroline’s last interview with us here, and check out more of her work at DeviantArt, Instagram, and her website.
