Natie ‘Jay’ is a self-taught artist from Eswatini. His preferred medium is pencil/graphite but he does occasionally dabble with ink. A self-confessed, perpetual student of all things art, he is regularly stumbling upon new ways to artistically express himself. A majority of his work is an active and on-going introspection of his ever-changing psychological landscape. In times when he cannot express himself through words and/or action, he uses pencil and paper in their place. Having studied psychology, he understands that all sorts of emotions and feelings need to be expressed in a healthy and safe space, but often times, the external world feels unsafe. Then, the blank paper or canvas can always serve as a home away from home; a platform where expression is a prerequisite, and not a source of uncertainty. These expressions are depicted in the form of a ‘muted’ illustrative surrealism.
