The introduction of sculptures
With Eternal Youth, Jeej introduces his first sculptures and collectables. The statues are a representation of how his childhood hobby eventually became his life’s work. Within this new series Jeej makes a statement against the common principle of growing up such as doing what society expects of you and forgetting your dreams. The aim is to take you back to own childhood memories and encourages you to never give up on what once motivated you. At the same time, he pays tribute to the underlying principle of graffiti with his distinctive faceless figures: everyone knows your name, but nobody has a face to go with it. The first sculpture in this series “It’s A Trap” symbolizes youthful nostalgia in contrast to the rebellious nature of graffiti culture.
When Jeej develops his creativity at an early age in the graffiti scene, he is simultaneously known as a sweet kid. The rebellious nature of graffiti culture is contrary to his character, interests and appearance. Yet spraying lyrics and figures on both walls and many moving vehicles proves to be his ultimate escape. What results is a high-contrast childhood, in which a connection to graffiti remains unknown to many in his circle for a long time. Today, the high contrast from his youth forms the foundation for his creations. The combination of raw and playful elements offers invitation to a new outlook on two experiences that at first glance contradict each other.
With the creation of sculptures, Jeej makes the translation from from two-dimensional to three-dimensional art. Hereby adding more depth and experience to his work. Also, Jeej believes creating a sculpture is the ideal way to pay tribute to the past 15 years where graffiti has been his central focus and what is the most important aspect in his work today.
From the inspiration of his larger-scale statues, Jeej also created limited edition collectables with the aim of creating a connection with a wide variety enthusiasts and collectors. It is now possible to purchase the collectable here.