Jack Kabangu was born in Zambia, grew up in Denmark, and is in many ways an artist of unseen character.
His impactful work, inspired by his roots and childhood memories, was only presented to the world a few years ago, but since then the young artist has quickly risen to become the talk of the town for his unique style and approach to colours.
Becoming an artist wasn’t something Jack had planned; it just happened as he used his interest in photography and design to share his works. An organic approach, a slight ignorance in his own words, which turned out to be in fact a blessing.
“My lack of knowledge about the art scene has helped me a great deal; I didn’t know anything about it, and I didn’t know who I was supposed to impress or prove myself to.
For a while, I tried to seek approval from influential people, but I got tired of it. It drains the energy from the art, because you end up getting lost in something that, ultimately, has nothing to do with art.”
“I had so many other influences outside the art world that I related more to; I’ve always had a keen interest in American hip-hop culture and African-American culture, and even though I wasn’t physically there, it felt as if I was – I experienced the culture largely through the internet, through music videos and interviews.
There’s a different approach to creating something in that scene; it’s more than just a dream and a passion; you’re the architect of your own success, and you believe in it wholeheartedly.”
For Jack, colours become a source of light and a means to create balance in the world surrounding him. Not just visually, by contrasting the soft tones of Danish design with vibrant hues, but emotionally as well.
“Colours are probably the most important thing we have, I think. Especially in a place like Denmark, where it’s grey for most of the year, so it’s important to let some light and warmth in, to find a balance, and colours can be experienced in so many ways, not just through art.
Sound can create a colour in the mind, and colours can emerge through conversations. I also think that’s why it’s so exciting for me to use colours – because it creates a contrast to my surroundings. I spend a lot of time in my studio during winter, working away. It’s really just about balance.”
How we perceive colours is inevitably linked to light. How nuances can alter and become something different in the minds of the viewer.
“It’s clear that this affects me depending on whether I’m in Denmark or travelling the world, where light is experienced very differently and is reflected in the surroundings, in people, in the cityscape and, of course, in art."
“I don’t work with light intentionally, but if I’ve been working a piece at night, and then I come back the next day, I suddenly see it differently because of the effect of the light.
The colours suddenly have a different tone to what I thought the night before. And to me that’s amazing – how a mistake can arise on its own accord, and then I can choose either to correct it or keep it and carry on working with that expression.”
