Meet Natiq Jalil | Visual Artist, activist, and founder of The Coloured Section Black Artists’ Collective

We had the good fortune of connecting with Natiq Jalil and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Natiq, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I am originally from Montgomery, AL, but moved to Denver, CO when I was 12. Lived there until I was in my late 20s, became a single dad, then moved to Pittsburgh, PA. Live there for a few years, had my first successful show, called Unfinished Business, then moved to the Bronx in NYC. Lived there for 2 – 3 years, then moved back to Pittsburgh after connecting with the woman who became my wife, the poet Crystal Noel. We’ve started an artists’ collective called The Coloured Section Black Artists’ Collective.

I come from a military family, so I moved a lot coming up. My family didn’t want me to become an artist. They wanted me to do something steady, like the military. But art was in me. My dad used to say I couldn’t be successful as an artist because I never finished anything. I used that as inspiration for my first successful show. I used to agonized over trying to completely fill up canvases with “stuff” and was never satisfied with the finished results. So I did a show where I intentionally didn’t finish a single painting, left lots of exposed canvas, didn’t cover up my drips or pencil marks, and called it Unfinished Business. It was my first time selling so much work on an opening night. This became my style and was transformative to my whole life.

From there, I moved to NYC, where I refined my style and really learned how to market myself and sell my art. I think that moving around so much when I was young prepared me to be ready to move at a moment’s notice in order to pursue my dreams. I also feel like being born down South informed me about some of the uglier parts of human nature, like racism, and the struggle to overcome it. Moving to a place as diverse as Denver showed a whole new world to me, and showed me that cooperation and equity is possible, but is more of an ideal and aspiration than an actual reality. There, I learned that defiance can be a strength and that there are things that are truly worth fighting for. In Pittsburgh, I learned about determination and what is needed to overcome your limitations. And in NYC, I learned to be fearless. Through The Coloured Section, I’m learning about true community, and the power of the connections we can build in life. And through my experiences as a father and husband, I’ve learned what kind of human being I want to be, the kind of example I want to set, and the kind of legacy I want to leave behind.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My art is all about people and how I see the present and future, and how the past has informed the now. I am a science and history buff, so I draw a lot of inspiration from them. I like to incorporate motifs from our everyday modern lives with iconography from the past in order to paint a picture of the future. I really love the human face and form, so I usually start there, trying to capture emotion more than technical perfection. Then I start to add texture and color through multiple layers of mixed media, stylized organic shapes, written words and poetry, power symbols, and whatever else crosses my mind. I try not to rigidly keep a finished product in mind so that I can freely create until the piece finally feels right.

Then I stop.

Even if the canvas isn’t covered. Even if you can see my pencil marks and paint drips. Even if you can see every mistake I’ve made. I’ve learned that when it feels right, it is done. ANd I put down my brush and walk away.

I think that what sets me apart from others is how cerebral and emotional I allow myself to become during my process. I play music to allow myself to get completely swept away in the moment, while also wrestling with every minute aspect of my subject matter in my mind. The complexity of my work is built in that way.

I am most proud of the way I see the members of my artist group, The Coloured Section, have started to embrace what they’ve learned from me. It’s nothing that I’ve taught them technique-wise. It’s more in the way that they now completely give themselves over to their pieces and their subject matter. They think about the concepts we tackle in ways I’ve never seen anyone do before. It is truly beautiful.

I’ve gotten to where I am today because I didn’t give myself any other choice. I wanted my daughter, Nasim, to chase her dreams, so I wanted to model that for her. I didn’t know if I would succeed or fail, but I truly believed I’d regret it if I didn’t try. I took the time to surround myself with people who I felt were further along in their careers and practice that me. I fought down any jealous or envious feelings and learned to really enjoy being in the room with people whose work I admired and surpassed my own in some way. I learned from them and asked them questions to the point that I was probably annoying. Then I applied what I could and discarded what I couldn’t. I took some of the scariest leaps of faith I could with no backup plan so that I wouldn’t be able to get complacent. And I celebrated every little victory as if it was the greatest achievement that mankind has ever know.

I’ve learned that I am going to make mistakes, regardless of how much planning I do. I’ve learned to find out what needs to be done, do it to the best of my ability, then just do it before I can talk myself out of it. I’ve also learned that you can’t share your ideas with everyone. Not everyone is in your corner. This makes you appreciate those who do support you even more.

I’d like the world to know that my art is our art. I tell stories through my art in a way that is unique to me, but can be felt by others. As I grow alongside the artist family I have build, we will leave a mark on this world, no matter how big or small, that will always be felt. Our goal isn’t just to make pretty things. Our goal is to make sure that our art matters.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If I could show someone around with no limitations, it would start with food. Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles. The food is definitely worth a wait in line. I’d also want to stop by Venice Beach. It was exciting. The people were beautiful. And I never knew what was going to happen from one moment to the next.

And since this is a trip with no limits, I’d have to take them to Times Square in NYC. That is one of my favorite places to go with my notebooks and just create spontaneously. My favorite food there is lamb over rice with white sauce from the Halal stands. Or maybe head over to Momofuku for some ramen. That’s my favorite in NYC.

Once again, if there are no limitations, I’d want to take someone to poetry night at Brother Jeff’s Cultural Center in Denver. That place is special. I’ll always remember the food, the vibes, the talent, and the way they gave voices to people who otherwise may not have been hears. I’d take them to see the art of Jay Apodaca and give them a chance to catch their breath with the amazing mountain views.

Lastly, I’d bring them to Pittsburgh to see the view of the city at the Incline Overlook at Mount Washington. Then we’d take a look at the public art and galleries of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, the Garfield Gallery Crawl, the limitless artists at Redfishbowl, and the passion of the works at Atithi Studios. Then we’d finish of with a tour of the Ohringer building where I work out of and enjoy some African Cuisine on the rooftop while enjoying the views.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’ve been blessed to know some amazing people. I would like to shoutout my mentor, the late George Gist, who was like a father to me and helped me laser focus on the future. He meant the world to me. I also have to mention my mentor Hashim Malik Bey, who really started my journey in the right direction. He taught me how to be upright, independent, and fearless. It was also him who gave me the push and inspiration to pursue Unfinished Business and develop my style.
I have to mention the living artists who I learned from and informed my style. They include Joshua Mays, who greatly informed my style, introduced me to afrofuturism, and encouraged me to draw and fill up a notebook when I was still afraid to just go for it. Jay Apodaca, who gave me my first gallery opening at Luz Gallery in Denver and encouraged me to go wild with color. LuCong, who I was able to watch work at the Space Gallery in Denver, who taught me what truly beautiful a work of art could be, Camo Nesbit, who taught me how to use spray cans. DS Kinsel, who showed me how to navigate the art world in Pittsburgh. My mural partner, Alison Zapata, who I’m able to vibe with and make art on a larger scale with. To my wife, Crystal Noel Jalil, who has taught me to not hesitate, to just say what I mean, and go for it. My daughter Nasim, who is my inspiration and catalyst for putting my all into my dream. It is through seeing the world through her eyes that I can create so many things. To Milton Davis, who let me see the possibilities of words and helped me find a voice I didn’t even know I had. To Chris Ivey, a legend who treats me like family and shows me the kind of path I want to walk. To Sukanta Nag, a new mentor who shares the same love of science as me, and gently pushes me in the right direction. To my family, who were terrified of me becoming an artist, but support me even as they pray that I’ll be ok.
Lastly, I want to thank the “kids” in The Coloured Section. They teach me so much everyday. They’ve become my chosen family who I take with me everywhere. They’ve taken a chance with me like no one else before. They trust me enough to guide them and diligently learn from me what I’ve learned from so many others. To all of them, I am truly grateful.

Website: https://artofnatiq.com https://colouredsection.us

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artofnatiq/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/artofnatiq

Image Credits
James Prude Photography, Zeal Eva Photography