For the series “These Projects are Ads for Creativity,” Vans teamed up with international artists to celebrate creativity itself. There were no specific guidelines regarding what the finished artwork should look like. The artists were thus given free rein. This resulted in images, videos, sculptures, animations, and much more.
Alex Gamsu Jenkins, featured in this interview, lives in London and works as a comic artist, illustrator, and—for this project—as a sculptor. In his work, he explores critical issues and satire.
Now, Alex has brought one of his characters—previously only drawn—to life. From 2D to 3D: a two-meter-tall fiberglass sculpture.
Can you tell us a little bit about what you did for this project?
“I’ve always wanted to expand my work into 3D, and this project felt like an excellent opportunity to try something new. Since this project is all about creativity, I simply took it literally and translated the word into a work of art.”
“I thought, why not take a character from my imagination and bring it into the real world in all its large, eye-catching, and disproportionate glory! The figure is a giant head supported by a tiny body. An opening in the head creates lights and projections—an explosion of creativity!”
How did you get into illustration?
"I started illustrating because I was worried about my future. That sounds depressing, but in the end, it turned out to be a good thing. I think most teenagers feel a lot of pressure to decide on a specific career path right after school. I didn’t have the best grades and got into a lot of trouble.”
"I almost failed art class! Even as a kid, I had a talent for drawing, and I never lost interest in it. I remember that my elementary school teacher once called my mom in for a parent-teacher conference. He was worried because I was drawing violent pictures. Fortunately, I’m not too messed up today! I drifted around a bit and had various jobs that weren’t really my thing.”
"I worked in factories, in telemarketing, for charities (one of those that try to convince people to sign up for a subscription), and as a supermarket manager, but I wasn’t good at any of those jobs. Eventually, I took an evening class in caricature drawing, and things started looking up from there."
Can you tell us a little about the themes and characters in your work?
"I think my work lets me be as cynical about the world as I want, because the visual format allows me to get away with it. I often express myself rather clumsily, so illustration lets me convey humor or criticism better than I could with words!"
"I don’t think there’s necessarily a fixed theme in my work. I try to broaden my horizons with every drawing and try new things. It could be a commentary on the banality of everyday life or something more abstract and imaginative. I try not to take myself too seriously and not to get too full of myself with my work."
This was a new process for you. How did you find the experience?
"I really enjoyed the process, from the initial sketches to working with small 3D models, all the way to collaborating with the team of sculptors who brought the figure to life. In the future, I’d love to create an entire world around this sculpture, perhaps incorporate even more of my characters, and really bring a story to life.”
What else do you have coming up?
"I’m going to be working more with animation now. I’ve always wanted to go in this direction, but it seemed pretty intimidating from a technical standpoint. But it’s really just a matter of perseverance, and I’m gradually getting better at it. Animation direction gives me the opportunity to really delve into storytelling and play with different angles. It’s a bit overwhelming at first, but then it’s a lot of fun to immerse myself in a completely new world and try out new techniques. It unleashes a lot of creative energy."
You can find more of Alex Gamsu Jenkins’ work on his official website. It’s worth checking out!
