JAWGEM or Jochem van Aller is an artist and illustrator from The Hague.
He studied illustration at the Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam. His work is colorful and bold, but always with a deeper edge to it. Heavily inspired by things like fashion, comics, street culture, and an 80’s nostalgia. He likes to take things that bother him in the world or in society and depict these with absurd concepts. So it hopefully makes you smile and think a bit at the same time. The body of his work consists of paintings, screenprints, 3D sculptures, and making murals.
He tries to find a healthy balance between being an artist and commercial work.
‘’I like to push my autonomous work to the point where people will ask me for what I do and appreciate my work for what it is. It’s also a bit therapeutic where I take things that bother me or irritate me about the world and try to get them out through my artwork. But always in a humorous way so it does make you smile! The world is full of absurdity and things that just don’t add up. Sometimes you need to get those things out. You want to contribute to the world. So I try to do it in this way and make a mark.’’
He always tries to push his craft to the next level, by experimenting with 3D models of his art world or just being the best artist he can be. ‘’I always try to get better in what I do because as an artist you’re never done.’’ So although he has a signature style, you can still always watch it evolve.
Instagram @jawgem