We recently connected with Jemonique Barnabie and have shared our conversation below.

Jemonique, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you wish you had started sooner?

I’m a strong believer that everything happens when it’s meant to. With that being said, I believe that when I took the leap to pursue my passion for fine and visual arts in 2016, it was divine timing. Any sooner, I did not feel that my skills were up to my personal standard of excellence, especially looking to compete in an already difficult market. Any later, I may have invested my time and energy into other interests, leaving the artistic side of me uncultivated.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am Jemonique Barnabie, an Interdisciplinary Artist & Photographer from The Bahamas. I’ve always had a passion for the fine arts but did not seriously consider it as a career until my freshman year of college in 2016, when I was inspired to curate my first art exhibition and thus Jemonic Creations was born. Deciding on a singular discipline has always been a challenge of mine, especially facing societal pressures to find a lane and stick to it. I prefer to be a “Jack (or Jane) of All Trades”. I continued pursuing my BA in Music, which I was a regular performer in my university’s pop band, classical ensemble and choir, all while developing and marketing my skills for drawing, painting, makeup artistry and henna design. Photography came along a little later for me and started out as a hobby, however it quickly developed into one of my most profitable services. Today I specialise in acrylic portrait and landscape paintings, graphite pencil drawings and portrait studio and outdoor photography. I am also a full time Music & Art teacher back home in The Bahamas. I love that I have the structure of working a typical salaries job, yet having the free range to freelance and work on projects outside of the classroom; a combination that allows me to do what I love in all aspects of my life.
The beauty about being an artist is that you don’t need flashy gimmicks to set yourself apart from others in your field. Every artists’ best selling point is the uniqueness of their own personal style. My work may be imitated but will never be duplicated.
Each of my creations as well as photo sessions are done in the name of love. I do not work for money, I work because I enjoy being able to bring my clients’ visions to life. I pour hours, days, weeks and even months into my pieces and they are all made unique and one of a kind. I am most proud when I receive positive emotional reactions from my clients after having met beyond their expectations.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

The best thing society can do to support artists and creatives is for individuals to develop an appreciation for art. Art is all around us and we all have the innate capacity to admire and appreciate art. When you genuinely have an appreciation for something, it doesn’t matter what it is, you’ll naturally be compelled to support it, Whether that be by consuming media from creatives, reposting their work, showing up to art events, buying prints and paintings or having a piece commissioned from an artist, there are so many ways to support the arts.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

Sometimes I don’t think non-creatives realise just how connected the business aspect is to the creative aspect. Artists aren’t just service providers, we must feel connected or inspired in order to produce a quality piece to satisfy clients and maintain or creative integrity. I’ve personally been asked to just replicate work, or create a piece that is very removed from my personal style, which I’ve learned doesn’t work for not only legal reasons but for the sake of my integrity as an artist. We must be given creative liberty to some extent in order to create.

Contact Info:

• Website: jemoniccreations.mypixieset.com
• Instagram: @jemonic.creations / @jemonic.photos
• Facebook: Jem Alex Barnabie
• Linkedin: Jemonique Barnabie
• Twitter: je_monicc
• Other: TikTok: jemonic