Saudi artist Hamza Jamjoom is not your regular artist. He gained his huge fan base on social media platforms by creating what he calls human art.
Human art, according to Jamjoom, is when you use your own body to create the desired art piece. It is also when your thoughts, experience and other people inspire you.
The year 2012 is when it all started. Jamjoom was invited to a costume party and he decided to look unique and distinctive. He created his style from scratch and bought textile and makeup to look like an artistic ghost. “I loved the feeling when I was in front of the camera and was able to take photos of my creation. That’s when I decided that this is what I wanted to do. I decided to do more and more and post on my Facebook page with only 60 followers,” he said.
Jamjoom’s family members were not taking his passion seriously, which is why he decided to prove to them that he is serious about his artistic side. “I wanted to challenge myself and challenge them to show that this kind of art is appreciated and is loved by many, I would say now that I have achieved my goal with more than 50,000 fans on social media,” he added.
On his 16th birthday, Jamjoom decided to hold a costume party and dress his best and be like a moving art piece in his own celebration. “My father was a great support because I wanted to do something crazy and he totally understood and backed me up on it. My father created a huge human cage for me to come out of in my party,” said Jamjoom. “I stayed in the cage for full 12 hours to cope with the role I was playing for my birthday party and I was released from the cage like a free bird. I imagined myself as a bird that is coming out and freeing his passion for human art against all the negative comments and people who were opposing it,” he added.
This was his way to express himself, express his talent and reality. Jamjoom needed to go through the emotional 12-hour lock-up in a cage to finally release himself from all the challenges he went through. “I used to care so much about what people think about me and what they would say, especially that I was bullied in school for years by my schoolmates. I used to be very shy, and now, I am more open to new friendships and social life because I started believing myself,” said Jamjoom.
Jamjoom created his own studio where he comes up with his art concepts and captures the whole process for his audience. “I do at least two photoshoots a week, and in between I am always speaking to my followers about how to create certain looks and I take them along for shopping for my textile and outfits used in these photoshoots,” he said.
Jamjoom has already done 87 photoshoots, the craziest to him was the “Mad Cow Disease”. The artist wore a cow skin that was still warm according to him. “I love cows, and the whole thing was to challenge myself to be uncomfortable and make an art piece out of it. There are people who really loved it and appreciated and others who thought it was insane and uncomfortable, but hey, the best art is that that makes you curious and uncomfortable,” he said.
Jamjoom has three personalities in his photoshoots, the bloody person, the simple person and the fantasy person. “Many of my artworks confuse people and make them wonder how I have many faces and many concepts with crazy themes under one account,” he said. “You need to be crazy to be an artist because no regular person can be an artist. You need to be a person who believes a fantasy more than reality and you need to be someone who gets inspired by anything,” he added.
Jamjoom later decided to take his art from in front of the camera to out in the streets. “When I was in school, I was a person who had insecurities and doubts about myself. When I was bullied, I used to be very cautious of what to do and what to wear just to avoid those who used to bully me,” he said. “Now that I grew up and faced my fears, I decided to be whoever I want to be. I challenge myself everyday to be different and to be under the spotlight. I just want to show people that they are free to be themselves and the problem is not you, it is in the people who judge you and speak badly to you and about you,” he added.
Many say that Hamza Jamjoom is the male version of Lady Gaga, thanks to his crazy outfits that he wears to social events and gatherings. “I want people to connect my art to me, I want to show them that I am being part of my art and I own it,” said Jamjoom. “It is also a hidden message to show people that even if you were insecure in your past, it shouldn’t reflect your present but it should inspire it to be better and louder,” he added.
Social media plays a big role in Jamoom’s art. “It is my only tool to encourage people to be themselves and encourage them to do what they want to do with their lives. It is also my number one marketing tool. With more than 50,000 followers I would say I reach my goal everyday, thanks to their comments, likes and feedback,” he said. ” I am blessed with people who understand me and encourage me to give more everyday,” he added.
Hamza is now working on his own solo art exhibition for 2017. It will be a collection of his “crazy” artwork that is open for people to either love or hate. His message to people is: be yourself and be you always.
— [email protected]
Human art, according to Jamjoom, is when you use your own body to create the desired art piece. It is also when your thoughts, experience and other people inspire you.
The year 2012 is when it all started. Jamjoom was invited to a costume party and he decided to look unique and distinctive. He created his style from scratch and bought textile and makeup to look like an artistic ghost. “I loved the feeling when I was in front of the camera and was able to take photos of my creation. That’s when I decided that this is what I wanted to do. I decided to do more and more and post on my Facebook page with only 60 followers,” he said.
Jamjoom’s family members were not taking his passion seriously, which is why he decided to prove to them that he is serious about his artistic side. “I wanted to challenge myself and challenge them to show that this kind of art is appreciated and is loved by many, I would say now that I have achieved my goal with more than 50,000 fans on social media,” he added.
On his 16th birthday, Jamjoom decided to hold a costume party and dress his best and be like a moving art piece in his own celebration. “My father was a great support because I wanted to do something crazy and he totally understood and backed me up on it. My father created a huge human cage for me to come out of in my party,” said Jamjoom. “I stayed in the cage for full 12 hours to cope with the role I was playing for my birthday party and I was released from the cage like a free bird. I imagined myself as a bird that is coming out and freeing his passion for human art against all the negative comments and people who were opposing it,” he added.
This was his way to express himself, express his talent and reality. Jamjoom needed to go through the emotional 12-hour lock-up in a cage to finally release himself from all the challenges he went through. “I used to care so much about what people think about me and what they would say, especially that I was bullied in school for years by my schoolmates. I used to be very shy, and now, I am more open to new friendships and social life because I started believing myself,” said Jamjoom.
Jamjoom created his own studio where he comes up with his art concepts and captures the whole process for his audience. “I do at least two photoshoots a week, and in between I am always speaking to my followers about how to create certain looks and I take them along for shopping for my textile and outfits used in these photoshoots,” he said.
Jamjoom has already done 87 photoshoots, the craziest to him was the “Mad Cow Disease”. The artist wore a cow skin that was still warm according to him. “I love cows, and the whole thing was to challenge myself to be uncomfortable and make an art piece out of it. There are people who really loved it and appreciated and others who thought it was insane and uncomfortable, but hey, the best art is that that makes you curious and uncomfortable,” he said.
Jamjoom has three personalities in his photoshoots, the bloody person, the simple person and the fantasy person. “Many of my artworks confuse people and make them wonder how I have many faces and many concepts with crazy themes under one account,” he said. “You need to be crazy to be an artist because no regular person can be an artist. You need to be a person who believes a fantasy more than reality and you need to be someone who gets inspired by anything,” he added.
Jamjoom later decided to take his art from in front of the camera to out in the streets. “When I was in school, I was a person who had insecurities and doubts about myself. When I was bullied, I used to be very cautious of what to do and what to wear just to avoid those who used to bully me,” he said. “Now that I grew up and faced my fears, I decided to be whoever I want to be. I challenge myself everyday to be different and to be under the spotlight. I just want to show people that they are free to be themselves and the problem is not you, it is in the people who judge you and speak badly to you and about you,” he added.
Many say that Hamza Jamjoom is the male version of Lady Gaga, thanks to his crazy outfits that he wears to social events and gatherings. “I want people to connect my art to me, I want to show them that I am being part of my art and I own it,” said Jamjoom. “It is also a hidden message to show people that even if you were insecure in your past, it shouldn’t reflect your present but it should inspire it to be better and louder,” he added.
Social media plays a big role in Jamoom’s art. “It is my only tool to encourage people to be themselves and encourage them to do what they want to do with their lives. It is also my number one marketing tool. With more than 50,000 followers I would say I reach my goal everyday, thanks to their comments, likes and feedback,” he said. ” I am blessed with people who understand me and encourage me to give more everyday,” he added.
Hamza is now working on his own solo art exhibition for 2017. It will be a collection of his “crazy” artwork that is open for people to either love or hate. His message to people is: be yourself and be you always.
— [email protected]
