Bio

GKJcreates (AKA George Kevin Jordan) is an artist and illustrator based in Washington, DC. He works mostly in water-based mediums like gouache, watercolor and ink. His works hearkens back to the pop culture saturated days of the 80s and 90s, when anime, comics, cartoons, and music had more of an influence on kids than their own parents. Think bright colors, big ideas, and lots of fun!

He examines Black and Black/Queer life in a variety of situations from mundane domestic settings, to exotic locales, mythologies and folklore. The work may end up on watercolor paper, on napkins, cardboard or canvas. His bright palettes recall the whimsical, playful ways in which children interpreted their joy in their work. 

Artist Statement

I am a multidisciplinary artist focused mainly on water-based mediums including gouache, watercolor, and ink. 

Water is so integral to our existence, it should come as no surprise its importance in artistic work. Working with water and wet mediums is also always a negotiation between the artist and the creator, or nature or both. I have the best of intentions but no matter what I do, it has to be in conjunction with water. We collaborate on finished work.

I love the playfulness in my work that creating with wet mediums forces you to grapple with each and every time. A mistake is just a decision you and the water make. You can decide how to proceed but it’s an adventure every time. 

My subject matter tends to call back to my time as a Gen-Xer influenced by early anime, comic books, cartoons, music and all things pop culture. It saturates the work. But I am not always interested in being sarcastic and sardonic. Sometimes I want to explore different alternatives to past histories. I explore themes of love, rage, family, masculinity, femininity, sex, climate change, work, and nature through the lens of a Black gay male. I want to challenge myself with my work to see the world both as I see it, how I imagine it, and much like water, how the world wants me to see these issues. We all have our points of view, and none are completely truthful.

Contact me

For questions and inquiries please email me at GKJ.creates@gmail.com.