Freddie Jacob’s Viscerally Tender Art

Freddie Jacob’s art is supple and personal in a way that departs from a lot of contemporary art. In contrast to the bulk of contemporary art which tend to lean into overt subversion and grand ideas, Jacob’s art hones in on the human face, and the transformative power of love is her principal object of affection. “Sometimes our art can come from pain, sometimes it can come from anger, sometimes it can come from whatever thing you want to express but for the most part, I have created pieces out of love,” she tells me from her family home in Delta state. Her portraits are distinctive in how they reveal as much about her and her outlook on life as they do about her subjects, bringing to mind the melange of emotions occasioned by gazing at a Franz Halz portrait. Like Halz, Jacob is assiduous in reflecting the essence of her muses, but just like Halz generously suffuses his portraits with a whimsy that directly emanates from his person, Jacob peppers her work with a tenderness that is indissoluble from her. She recently became a mother, an event that has proved as illuminating to her conceptions about art as it has been to her outlook on existence. “I use my hands to create art, so actually creating life, bringing life into this earth, really did give me a broader outlook on what life or existence is.” 

In our conversation below, we discuss her inimitable style, the ineffable beauty of motherhood, working with Tems and her journey to acclaim. 

(This conversation has been lightly edited for clarity)

How’s life been for you recently? What have you been up to?

 I recently became a new mom this year. I got into school. I got a scholarship. And I’m gearing up for my exhibition this month. Dates aren’t out yet, but mid mid-December. Work has also been good. I have a few couple commissions going on.

Would you say motherhood has changed your outlook or approach to art?

Yes. Even in a general sense, becoming a mother has shifted my brain a little bit, even with questions on my existence as a human being. How I view life now has shifted. When you see another human being created and come out of you, that shifts and changes your brain. A couple weeks after I gave birth, I was intrigued by the fact that every single day more humans are being created into this earth, humans who will eventually go on to lead their own lives. Even though it’s the most basic thought, it just gives you this liberating view: I and my child will create our futures with our hands just as I create art with my hands. 

What struck me the hardest in your response is that you alluded to it possibly sounding basic. But I’ve found that profundity very often exists in the mundane. Sometimes in our quest for complexity we ignore the simple things.

Yes. Honestly, there’s a lot of meaning to be obtained from simple things but because we experience it all the time, we just think it’s normal, but it’s also very complex, it’s also very deep, it’s also very meaningful. So yes, thank you. At the end of the day, when you go through things like motherhood, a new career, a new job, work, creating art, you find that love and joy can just be rooted in the simplest things. 

How did you get into portraiture, art in general? 

I’ve always been an artist. Since I was a child, I used to always sketch things. However, because of the Nigerian context of careers and growing up in a lower class home, I didn’t see the arts as a viable career path. So I went to school to study petroleum engineering. I later switched to computer science. I remember talking to a relative and  telling them I would love to be an artist. And the person asked if I was dumb “You are going to be poor. You want to be a poor artist?”

But from 2018 to 2020, I had this phone that had a stylus, I started drawing digitally. I wasn’t really posting (my work) that much (online). I didn’t even have a dedicated Instagram account for my art. I was just posting on my main account. And someone just told me “do you know you can actually set up your Instagram page separately for art?” They didn’t exactly make me think about making a career out of my art but they made me think about posting for the love of it and getting followers. I created an art page and started posting all my messy artworks. I started getting followers and compliments. From that point, I started getting YouTube gigs. I even entered into NFTs, showing my art and even selling my art digitally. 

Speaking about the origin of your artistic sensibilities, did anyone in your immediate family or circle inspire you as a child? 

My family has actually been quite positive about my art, especially now. When I was younger, they were always encouraging me, but not in the sense of a career. It’s different now.  I think the first person I got inspired from in my family was an uncle of mine who used to draw, he’s an architect. He didn’t fully choose art. My aunt also used to draw. She used to paint portraits of people and herself. And she didn’t study art directly. She studied textile design and all of that. So they kind of inspired me.  My mom was a big influence in fostering my imagination and creativity. She used to get me a lot of cool, well-illustrated children’s books. 

Tell me a bit about your family 

We are a big family. I have 3 siblings (3 brothers); an elder brother, a 14-year-old brother, and a 2-year-old brother. 

Your style is very distinctive and easily identifiable. Anyone who has been exposed to your art can see a new piece and go “oh, that’s a Freddie Jacob.” When artists have that effect, it’s not uncommon for them to christen their style. For example, Afro-Futurism. Do you have any name you describe your style with?

Now that I think about it, I’ve never actually given my art style a name yet. I would say it’s quite vibrant. And, to be honest, I’ve never really thought of a name to give my style this. I think people have classified it as, like you said, Fred Jacob’s art style. 

Artists typically fall into two philosophical categories: those who are concerned with the meaning of art and those who embrace art for its aesthetic value. Now, in reality, it’s more a spectrum: there are people in the middle—also, the artist cannot dictate how their audience engages with their art. But how do you approach art-making?

I feel like it’s a mix of both because there are times where I’ve made pieces that don’t represent anything. They are not even born out of anything. They’re not born out of any emotion. And I have pieces that really came from my heart, really came from inside. So I think, like, I’m a blend of both.

Let’s drift a little further from philosophical waters. Let’s talk about your Tems commission. How did it come together?

In 2022, I made a fan art of Tems. That year, she didn’t see it. I was pretty bummed because I really wanted her to see it, she’s one of my favorite artists ever. So I think in 2023, one year later, I just started getting notifications. I saw that Tems had followed me and shared the piece. I had even started getting followers and my DMs were a mess because friends and followers had messaged to inform me. I was extremely happy, but I thought it would end there. Leading to her new drop, her album, she just texted me out of nowhere, and was like, she really loves my art and she wanted a PFP (profile picture) because she’s entering a new era.

 What is your work process like? I’m aware that artists sometimes have rituals that introduce some consistency into their workflow, as well as an air of creativity. Do you have anything of the sort? Or how do you approach art making in general?

I don’t really have a strict workflow. I used to have a strict workflow. But as I have just become a new mom, I’m trying to balance work and motherhood smoothly. So it’s not exactly the same as when I wasn’t a mom. However, I typically start with research. Most times, the clients would send what they want, a brief on what they want or a full length, either a brief summary or a full length document on what they want, and I have to read it carefully, then I’ll send it to my manager, and then I’ll get references. I would look out for references. I would also research because depending on the kind of commission, there are things you’d want to represent. For instance, if a client wants you to draw someone with a disability, you have to do some research on how to properly represent them.

A couple months ago, you posted a portrait of Rema you had done on X, and amidst the flurry of praise you received, there were also critiques about what some perceived as your effeminate portrayal of Rema. I think it struck a nerve because you replied to it. Care to share what you think of critiques of this stripe?

Yes. I had to explain that it was my style. When I first started drawing, people would say I can’t draw men because when I drew men I would add my own elements. Have you heard of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure? 

No. 

Okay. It’s a really cool anime. And in it, there are characters who are really cute. The anime also does away with a binary view of gender. It’s really just the art style. It’s not about presenting masculinity as this or that. Also, Rema is a pretty person. So I’m like, how do I depict him as the pretty person he is? 

What artists inspire you? and they don’t necessarily have to be visual artists; writers, singers, composers who inform your style or more broadly speaking, your approach towards art.

I think the biggest visual artist that has inspired my art is Hayao Miyazaki. I have followed his work since my childhood. Not in the deep sense as a kid, but as I grew older, I became more inspired by his work. They are not just colorful and vibrant, but the stories he tells, the way he’s very invested in trying to say something. He once said something about making a world for children in which they don’t see in the world we have right now. Frank Ocean also inspires me a lot, especially the way he experiments, the  storytelling in his music, also the concepts he explores.  

For my final question, what are some challenges you face as a creative living in Nigeria?

The biggest challenge is electricity. It’s very limiting. It’s insufferable, to be very honest, because there are days where because I have a commission, I have to spend so much on flow. I have to try my best to work even harder than I would if I had electricity, if I had constant electricity. And it’s a very relatable issue for every digital artist. Even for traditional artists who need light and comfort and every other thing associated with electricity to make their work.