‘Good art is not what it looks like, but what it does to us,’ says young artist
Possessing a talent for being creative, Andre Jacobus was inspired to pursue art, which serves as therapy and catalyst, to become a distinguished artist.
“Art is one of the few things I enjoy doing. Also, I am always in the habit of creating stuff, so that is why I decided to take it up,” Andre said in an interview with Sunday Times Magazine.
The artist recalled that since he was five years old he was already sketching and was “very much into art books”. Andre credits his father, also an artist, for recognising his potential and motivating him to pursue art.
Although possessing an innate talent for art, Andre sought to get formal training to hone his artistic skills. He attended the E R Burrowes School of Art, majoring in painting, and graduated from the institution in 2013.
“I love every aspect of painting. Now, I am moving away from the traditional style of painting on canvas and paper and doing it digitally on the computer, which I taught myself to do. My earlier artworks were all realism because of the scenes I wanted to achieve in my paintings, but most of my works are now fantasy art and surrealism,” he noted.
The artist, who is also known for his skilful capoeira (a Brazilian martial art that combines elements of dance, acrobatics and music), said he is inspired by famous artists such as Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci and Salvador Dali.
Andre is fascinated with the endless possibilities of creating celebrated works of art by starting off with a blank canvas, paper or screen. His most recent passion is animation and digital works, which can be viewed on YouTube.
The artist plans on “getting better” in his artistry and to someday have a solo exhibition of his work.
“Good art is not what it looks like, but what it does to us. My advice to young artists is to just keep loving what you do, which, in my opinion, is the key ingredient because art can change the world!” Andre declared.
For more information on the artist, email andrejacobus1993@gmail.com or check out Dré on Facebook.
