ARTIST STATEMENTI have always wanted to tell stories that could be read by anybody.In order to make my stories universally legible I choose themes and protagonists that are stereotypical and utilize a concise visual language with a deep emotional undertone. My art explores Jungian archetypes in the modern world. In addition I search for neo-archetypes in mass media and global popular culture. An important neo-archetype is the Bambi character which to me has a seductive and an innocent side. This duality is a prominent theme in my work.Compulsion for total control and perfection has made the computer my medium of choice. At the same time, the technology I use is new and rapidly advancing, allowing me to experiment with new aesthetics as of yet unexplored. This gives me the freedom to create my own aesthetics within the medium.ARTIST BIOSci-fi plastic surgery vixens, computer generated nymphs, Bambis, voluptuous peaches, and yet more Bambis, these represent just a small selection of Faiyaz Jafri’s work. Some of his art might verge on the x-rated and yet other works by the New York based artist are positively oozing unadulterated cuteness. He seems to have an obvious obsession with the Bambi character. The perky bummed deer pops up frequently in Jafri’s work. Displaying both her innocent and seductive side, providing a duality that is a prominent throughout his work.Jafri, born and raised in rural Holland and of Dutch and Pakistani decent, has always been somewhat of a perfectionist. Realizing that a computer could draw a far straighter line than he ever could, it was only a matter of time before Jafri would start using computers as soon as the technology became more readily available.In 1987 he began making his first illustrations on a small Apple computer using basic vector imaging software. Cumbersome and limited as these programs may seem now, they where perfect for Jafri’s already pictographic style.His work evolved from flat line art into a style he calls hyper-unrealism. Innovations in personal computers certainly contributed to this evolution. Despite the vast possibilities offered by modern computers he stays close to his subject, leaving out unnecessary frills and extra’s until he’s left with an image that is unambiguous and almost obscene in it’s blunt power.His work has an almost clinically engineered feel to it without becoming cold or soulless. It is this contrast between unnatural perfection and the fact that his work conveys a strong emotion that makes his work at times haunting but always strangely human. Jafri has exhibited his art in the form of prints, video installations film and sculptures. His style has attracted commercial clients like IBM, Coca Cola, Guinness and various international magazines such as Rolling Stone, The Face and Wired, to name but a few. His work for the Guinness Extra Cold Campaign earned him a 2002 D&AD Silver Award for the most outstanding illustration for advertising campaign.
