Today we’d like to introduce you to Joker Wynwood.
Hi Joker, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
For as long as I could remember myself from an early childhood, there was always art in my life. As most kids, I started with pencil drawings and had my works displayed at a local school Art Showing. It wasn’t until later in my early twenties when I became fascinated with photography, I realized that I can do more with painting. I felt that there is much more freedom to express your ideas and deliver what you want to say through an oil painting. I always had a lot to say, I still do and painting for me is exactly that. Mastering oil painting is not so easy and I didn’t have one bit of experience. Naturally, I turned to literature, lessons and courses but very soon realized that national artists and academism have a lengthy and dull approach to teaching. I did not have time for old school methods and frankly, it was too boring of a path. I decided to teach myself through reading, watching others and simply painting as much as possible. Inception is the most important part of the process. It does not matter if you start with small steps or big strides, the key is not to stop. I got completely dissolved in the process. I had to bare myself to sort of speak and become hypersensitive to the positives and negatives impacting us on a daily basis.
To express yourself as an artist, it is important to let all emotions pass through you, whether it’s sadness, fear, anger, disgust or happiness. I had to strip myself of all the protective layers I built up until that point and return to my unguarded state of mind to convey the true colors of these sensations. With my first 20 pieces, I was a nervous wreck but painting is the best treadmill for your brain, the more you create, the better you get. By nature, I am a curious soul and cannot standstill. I have to constantly learn and acquire skills to better myself which lead me to read enormous amounts of literature about human brain function, microbiology and genetics. Add to the formula years of practice and playing around with colors and I built a solid foundation to my own personal style and system. I learned to multitask, time management, how to speed up the process and have the energy, inspiration and health to create more. For my first exhibition, I went overboard and prepared 45 pieces, not because I had to, but because I couldn’t stop.
Two weeks after my exhibition, I was invited to participate at an auction along with 30 other nationally recognized artists. The auction had a purpose and percentage of the sale proceeds went to a Children’s Health Fund. I went ahead and submitted my best piece at the time and to my pleasant surprise, it sold. It was exhilarating and I still remember being blown away, not with the material value of it but with the fact that my energy went on to save a life. That same correlation occurred to me the first time I read about Wynwood. I was stunned with the success an art project could have on a community. It’s beautiful how a splash of color could transform a violent neighborhood and have such a positive influence. I wished to visit one day but couldn’t imagine that years later, I would immigrate to the US and end up moving to Wynwood. It’s a magical community, there is always someone drawing, there is always color, even during Pandemic Wynwood never stopped creating. I am immensely grateful to be a part of this art culture where we unite, create and transform mindsets. My mission is to be useful in our society to the maximum level possible and in the meantime, add as much happiness to this world as I can, be it with a burst of color, or music, or both. Art is our Institute of Happiness and I believe that an artist lives in each one of us.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Lack of financial support is the biggest obstacle for most modern day-artists. We must be financially independent in order to create without limits. The path to earning a decent living doing what you love is typically long and a lot of talent goes unnoticed. The rise to stardom is costly and percentage wise very small. With that in mind, I had to generate an income first with a career in fashion to support my urge for art. One of my goals now is to support those talents that can’t afford their passions. Artists are just as important to our society as doctors and scientists and should not struggle while creating. I believe in people, in teamwork and building a community of artists to help other artists realize because big ideas are born out of kind and creative minds. If only a small percent of the funds that countries spend on guns, wars and power struggles could be invested in supporting arts, building new schools and libraries, our world would evolve at an incredible rate.
Another challenging aspect for me was the lack of support from friends and those close to me, even family. No one believed in me, and at times even found my art fascination amusing. No one expected it to last and most assumed it would be temporary. When I first started painting, I recall it being a joke for so many people, especially my loved ones. Even after my first exhibition, not many took me seriously. Fortunately, I did not need anyone’s approval. It’s not my character to doubt myself and I never really cared what others thought of me. The jokes did not bother me either because I knew where I was going, and it was only a matter of time. If you are dedicated to your work, you must learn to be a pro at it and to become a pro you must continue to read and educate yourself. That basic rule applies to everything in life. The experience I gained from reading and practicing is priceless. Now one of my other goals is to find and discover the talents and geniuses amongst us instead of limiting or killing their potential. What we need today is an army of artists that will share, create and give happiness to others, and spark a chain reaction that will continue to influence our society for better. Changing toxic behaviors is invaluable and I actively support projects like Wynwood and Burning Man which are already part of that culture.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Art is a push behind ideas, it gives us that spark to explore. For me painting is a huge emotional outpouring, so much goes into the mood. I learned to awake and manipulate my audience. Every one of my artworks has a story, a mood and evokes a certain emotion. Every color I choose has a special effect on the brain activity. The energy of a painting should be palatable, whether you are looking to recharge your batteries, awaken productivity or induce happiness, every one of my paintings will stir up a special effect. The purpose of my work is to fire up my viewer for the entire day.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
My biggest mentors in life are actually books. I can’t list them all here but there are probably about 100 works of literature that tremendously changed my mindset. What I chose to read had a huge impact on helping me keep my perspective, achieving work-life balance, and not lose sight of my values. I attribute an enormous part of my motivation to such massive minds as Benjamin Graham, Henry Ford, Osho, Ray Dalio, Imannuel Kant, Friedrich Nietzsche, Peter Lynch, Warren Buffet and Tatyana Chernigovskaya to name a few.
Contact Info:
- Email: jokerwynwood@gmail.com
- Website: www.jokerwynwood.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jokerwynwood/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jokerwynwood
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/jokerwynwood
- Youtube: https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCogIshd8kG-rfFf1LsMUbBg
