Tiger II 2013

Here, James Jean conjures a world of tigers and foliage with a graphic, illustrative style. Look at the outlines—crisp and sure—that give form to the flora and fauna. It's like the artwork itself is caught in a dance between precision and wildness, a balance I always strive for in my own work. The material quality is really interesting, too. The surface seems smooth, almost like it's been printed, yet the colors are rich and deep. The tigers, peeking through the leaves, create a sense of depth within this flat space. The way the blue-green foliage contrasts with the orange and yellow stripes of the tigers reminds me of Japanese Ukiyo-e prints, a kind of visual conversation across time. Art is always a dialogue, right? Jean's Tiger II is a reminder that even in the most meticulously rendered images, there's always room for the unexpected, a space for us to wander and wonder.