KOCHI: For Kochi native Jeslina Mary John, making art sparks so much joy that she quit her job as an architect and decided to become a full-time illustrator in January. “Around two years ago, I decided to sketch more actively. The Inktober challenge prompted me to illustrate more. Eventually, I realised I needed more time to learn and better grasp character design and learn softwares. This made me dive into it completely,” says the self-taught artist.
Jeslina’s protagonists are wide-eyed with sharply contoured faces, somewhat reminiscent of Anime characters. But they are also more real and relatable with disheveled hair and bags under the eyes. Her frames often allude to mythical settings, drawn from fantasy worlds and her early love for Enid Blyton adventures. “I think I am still learning and experimenting with my style.
I see a significant difference between how I used to sketch six months back and now. I am adding more details to my illustrations. My current style is somewhere between cartoon-like and realistic. Right now, the features I am more comfortable drawing are akin to typical models but as I get better at anatomy my range of subjects will get broader,” says Jeslina.
Having started with pen and paper sketches, Jeslina has transitioned fully into digital illustrations. As one of the participating artists in last year’s Indie Comic Fest, she has positioned herself as one of the upcoming artists in the city to watch out for. Her ongoing series on the seven deadly sins rendered in a quintessential Kerala aesthetic juxtaposes common manifestations of the vices in ordinary people with the many performative artforms of the state.
“I love weaving a narrative through my frames and presently I am working to ascribe a deeper meaning to what I make. For example, when people talk about classical or folk artforms, they only know about a select few from Kerala. Through the seven deadly sins series, I am trying to shine light on lesser known forms. Initially I was prominently influenced by western references as I did not grow up in Kerala.
Hence, I would draw fairies and mermaids. But as I am delving more into my roots and experiences, my art is also becoming more immediate and even relevant,” says Jeslina. Going forward, she would like to work on themes related to the environment and the growing menace of capitalism.
You can find Jeslina’s art on Instagram @jessmj.art.