I often make reference to collections I've done or am in the process of working on, but I've never really shared with you what they are really about or what inspires them. So I decided that I would let you into my mind a little and share a subject more personal than most... which is, what inspires me to start a collection.

Tears of a Man

Tears of a Man is a collection inspired by a single quote… “and my actions are like those of a man intentionally leading himself into a corner.” This collection recognizes the attributes that we as men must subdue in order to fit in with societies, “boys don’t cry” attitudes. This collection brings to light those tears we boys turned men cry in the darkness or behind masks of indifference where they will never be seen. A man’s tears are sacred as are those circumstances that inspire them. This collection is a celebration of the side of men that never get acknowledged by the masses, and that we ourselves often regard as a weakness. The true strength of a man cannot be gauged by the build of his body, the thickness of his arms, the bulge of his wallet, the size of his dick, the make of his car or the deepness of his voice. The true measure of a man can be taken by what inspires his tears.


Origami Flowers

Origami Flowers will be a collection dealing with our preoccupation with beauty. The final goal is to realize that true beauty comes from within. The collection will deal with the complexity, simplicity, fragility and impermanence of outer beauty. Origami is the metaphor used for this collection because even a plain piece of paper can be beautiful, but when it is folded in on itself in intricate and complex patterns, it becomes something else. We look at it and say, “That is a flower,” when it is, in fact, a beautiful piece of paper with endless possibilities that may never again be realized. The paper original beauty is lost in the folds as it is molded by the hands of others. And in the end, even if origami is unfolded, the paper is forever left with wrinkles, evidence of its pursuit of its beauty outside its own. This represent the aftermath, for at this point, the paper is discarded by the same hands that shaped it. So the paper has to either remain itself, where it can hold beautiful words, pictures and written ideas, or it can be folded where it must remain in the form of something else and never be recognized for its own potential.

Angels Amongst Them…

Angels Amongst Them is a collection that will be dedicated to those actions, attributes, attitudes, convictions and thoughts that transforms ordinary people into extraordinary beings. So much of what we do as people gets overlooked and written off as mundane, yet those around us depend on those qualities that make their lives easier and more comfortable. This collection will begin with a painting entitled, “She Looks Within,” which acknowledges a woman’s battle to define herself on her own terms and to love herself within a world that seeks to shape her in its own negative image. The Angels Amongst Them Collection will celebrate and honor such strength and determination and let these ordinary people know that their extraordinary feats have not gone unnoticed, and give them a glimpse of the angel within themselves. This collection will draw heavily on symbolism and familiar archetypes as well as more obscure and personal points of reference. But the symbolism will also give the background story leading up to the moment when the subjects’ “angels” emerge.


I will tell you more next time. Thanks for listening. I appreciate it.

Oh yeah, the art show. Here's one of the flyers.


For those who can't make it to the show, here is a preview of one of the collections that will be shown. This is the Soul Sistah Collection.



If you want more info. Hit me up.

Ja na.

Natiq...

Some of my favorite personalities here on DA...


This is an incomplete list. I will be adding more soon.

Clubs I belong to:


To order original art by Natiq Jalil, please visit my online store.