Artist Jacqui Cooke, is an award winning multi-disciplined visual artist best known for her 'Our Veterans' and 'Plandemic' collections.
Cooke (nee Newsam) was born in Britain to parents who travelled from Jamaica (as part of the Windrush Generation) and settled in London. Her childhood ambition was to be an artist, however the challenges and chances of success as an individual of African descent in Britain, was deemed very slim by her parents, who encouraged a different career path.
Cooke held on to the love and passion for art and eventually chose to embark on an artistic journey, after a successful career in various creative related roles. Her work varies in size and covers various themes that depict both the achievements and challenges of individuals of African descent.
In 2018, Cooke held her first solo exhibition
I am a self-taught artist and, fortunately, in a position to explore boundaries in expressing my creativity.
In 2020, following the onslaught of the pandemic, my art shifted - we all were faced with uncertainty, and this had a huge impact on my frame of reference. I developed the passion for storytelling, which has been captured in many of my artworks.
Observing the curriculum of my children, which served as a reminder of my own, I recognised the importance there was, for representations of positive role models of African descent. The media or various channels often presents negative stereotypes through their content. I want to change that by highlighting individuals for their achievements, and elevate them for the contributions they have made to British society
My portraiture and figurative artwork are to inspire awe and give insight to stories, that have been untold. Individuals from the African diaspora and other communities, feel a sense of pride and leverage an understanding, from such stories.
I am a British born, Jamaican female who grew up in London.
Having always been very proud of my ethnicity, I started to realise this also defined who I was, when I was seen; this defined how I would progress in my career, when I challenged for that promotion; and also defined how I am perceived in society as an artist, until I accepted the value of my own perceptions is what defines me.
I choose to live my life, without the labels, and based on my view of the world, rather then letting the world tell me who I am, and how I need to be and live my truth. Life is great in my world, finding myself with a voice to present positive representations and depictions, of individuals of African descent.
