stunning view of “Beauty Amongst Thorns”

Original piece from artist J. Christopher “Beauty Amongst the Thorns”

J. Christopher x Monisha J. Brown Interview (Video)

In a stunning debut that turned heads across Los Angeles’s art scene Jordan Christopher, a rising star, sold out his first solo exhibition at Exhibit A Gallery with 21 original pieces of work celebrating the different fabrics of beauty.

The event drew an A-list crowd including co-hosts Tina Knowles and Melba Farquhar, who have become steadfast champions of Black artists. Knowles and Farquhar were pivotal in saving the exhibition when its original venue was cancelled just weeks before opening night.

J. Christopher’s faith remains central to his creative process, transforming canvas into testimony through his collection “Ethos: Beauty Amongst the Thorns.” His work, inspired by his medically fragile brother, caught the attention of cultural powerhouses including Angela Bassett, Kelly Rowland and Victoria Monét. All 21 pieces found homes that evening, a feat Christopher attributes to divine purpose. “God really showed who He was and blew it out,” he reflects, his humility as striking as his talent.

Monisha J. Brown: Hi, rolling out family. I am here today with a special gentleman. He is winning, and I am so committed to him continuing that win. I am here with the artist and HBCU graduate (Howard University) J. Christopher. J, welcome to rolling out.

J. Christopher: Thank you so much for having me. This is such a great opportunity. I am so excited to sit with you and talk with you guys. So, thank you all for this opportunity.

Monisha J. Brown: Absolutely. The honor is really ours. Let me tell the people how I found you. You had an art exhibit, correct?

J. Christopher: Yes, my debut exhibition.

Monisha J. Brown: Where was your art exhibit?

J. Christopher: It was at Exhibit A Gallery.

Monisha J. Brown: Please drop names. This is not the time to be humble. Sir, who was at your exhibit?

J. Christopher: It is crazy because every time someone asks me this, I am just like, oh, you know, my mom. Then, they are like, “No. We are talking about the celebrities.” I was very blessed and fortunate to have some great mentors come out and really show up for me. In attendance were Tina Knowles, Melba and Ralph Farquhar (maker of “The Proud Family”), Kelly Rowland, Victoria Monét, Angela Bassett, Holly Robinson Peete, Fran Drescher and a host of beautiful people for whom I am profoundly grateful.

There was a host of people, and they just wanted to show their support for me. I was super excited. God really showed who He was and blew it out. I was extremely blessed.

Monisha J. Brown: Your exhibit shows up like a red-carpet event. That was not the only testimony. How many paintings did you sell that night?

J. Christopher: I sold out. I had about 21 pieces, which is unheard of. But I was eager to show. I wanted to make sure that people felt like it was a full experience. I wanted to make sure that people really got my narrative and really heard my story. All of them sold, even the ones that were in the back which were not on the wall. I am very grateful for that.

Monisha J. Brown: I am surfing Instagram. I am following Beyoncé and Solange’s mom, Miss Tina Knowles, everybody’s mama. She is showcasing your work. I see all these celebrities. Then, I see your art in the background, which is beautiful. I mean beautiful. I make it my business to find you. When your first exhibit shows up like a red carpet and sells out, you are winning.

J. Christopher: Yes. Yes. I am just extremely grateful for that because, as I was saying it, is unheard of. The fact that I was able to obtain a solo show is not common in the art industry.

In this moment, the art market is challenged. People are fearful of having shows. Galleries have been closing. It is interesting that I was supposed to be showing at another gallery the same day; however, they canceled on me 2 weeks before the exhibit. I was like, “Wait. Hold on. My family is coming. I have all these people who are investing in me and ready to show up. You cannot just cancel on me. I have prepared everything.”

I had been painting since January. Now, it is the month of July, and it looks like I was going to have to cancel the show. What you saw was me, J. Christopher, coming into himself. I was like, “I’m about to make this happen for myself.” So, with the help of friends, mentors and Miss Tina Knowles, the show was saved. It was not even supposed to happen. It was supposed to be canceled. But God’s plan was otherwise.

Monisha J. Brown: Won’t He do it?

J. Christopher: Won’t He do it! Yes. He will.

Monisha J. Brown: The characters in your paintings are Black, but they have different fabrics and beautification of Blackness. How would you describe your work?

J. Christopher: I think the biggest thing that describes my work its entirety, and this is the actual show title, is “Ethos: Beauty Amongst the Thorns.”

Let me share a little bit of background. I have a medically fragile brother, Evan. He grapples with chromosome one deletion. Throughout his journey, I talk about my brother in ways that describes what he cannot do: he cannot walk, he cannot talk, he is wheelchair bound, he’s been on life support for 2 years. I am describing his condition and listing the things he is not able to do, rather than focusing on and glorifying the things he can do. Number one: He is alive.

We all have these challenges in our lives. We tend to dwell on the challenges rather than recognizing the beauty amongst the thorns. So, the beauty amongst the thorns is a mantra that my family and I use to change our perspective. While society may deem people with limitations as disordered or disabled, I like to see them as differently-abled.

I change the narrative by focusing on the ability. Many of the children I depict on my canvases have something unique about them. Some of them may have monocular vision. Others may have vitiligo or albinism. These are beautiful features that people don’t generally see in a positive light. Like I said, my work changes the perspective. I am making sure that people see the differently-abled as kings, queens and royalty.

Monisha J. Brown: Thank you for sharing your gift with the world. When I saw your work, it took me a minute to find the thorns because I only saw little beautiful children and little beautiful faces. Then, I was like, oh wait, there is something else here. You are an amazing storyteller because you do it through art. Thank you so much for sharing your story with rolling out.

J. Christopher: Yes. Thank you all so much. I appreciate it more than you know.

To experience J. Christopher’s masterful exploration of human resilience and the sublime beauty within perceived imperfection, please navigate to his digital gallery at: jchristopher.art.