We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Marlene Jorge. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Marlene below.

Marlene, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

“My trajectory as an artist started when I was 5 years old following an early curiosity for colors, shapes, and
especially the human figure. I started drawing comics
—imaginary stories about characters that I dreamed
of or invented and brought to life through my
drawings. Like most artists, my work is primarily
driven by emotion or expresses an emotion or state
of mind. I capture moments or elements of my life
that resonate within the soul. Just like a personal
diary, each one of my pieces possesses an emotional
resonance. However, my body of work does not
necessarily intend to convey any specific messages;
my purpose is just to convey those experienced
emotions.”

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

When I look back at my upbringing, I remember endless family gatherings—my father beautifully singing, my brothers playing the guitar, my uncle singing Silvio Rodriguez’s songs at the compass of his guitar, my
sister’s ballet concerts… I come from a family nucleus where art is second nature. I always have been
fortunate to have their support. I have to say my family and friends are the biggest fans and supporters of my art. There will always be opposition or resistance, but thankfully it has never come from my family or closest friends. I put fine art in the back of my head when I moved to NYC back in 1998 and dedicated myself to work, but there is this thing about being an artist ..you will always go back to your true nature so years after 2008 I went back to it and I haven’t stopped since then.

I am a muralist by trade. I love working on big scales. When working with clients their needs are the main focus and as an artist, I am very keen on providing excellence and commitment. Working as a commercial muralist in Austin I was able to embellish dead areas and provide more visually attractive ones in a way to help employees to have something different, and unique to marvel at. It is proven that art promotes positivism and enthusiasm in workplaces.

My style is very unique in the sense it transmits joy through colors and imagery. I am very determined and my work is slick and polished when it comes to commercial and private murals, very responsible and honest. I also do private commissions and I am working towards my own clothing brand.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I am a neurodivergent artist. . My background is not different from most people emigrating from their native countries to the USA but I am the kind of person that has dealt with Chronic M. Depression all my life, and PTSD.

I am an adopted child in a family of 7 children and throughout my life, I dealt with the criticism of those who believed being adopted was a sin. You need resilience in order to walk tall when every other day people out there will try bringing you down just because in their eyes you are a ” society’s misfit ” just because you are an adopted child or because you suffer from some kind of mental illness such as depression, PTSD, etc.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My mission is to make them the observer listen to their own subconscious, make them wonder, rediscover, embrace themselves, accept what it is, and make the best of it. I am not here to cause social waves, there is already plenty of artists already speaking about social changes, environmental issues, ethnic empowerment, gender acceptance, body embodiment, etc, I am more interested in the journey happening within ourselves. I find it most appealing to question the “self” and see what is laying within. After all, the world is just a mere reflection of our inner selves so the biggest work should be taking place within ourselves, once this happens the world we experience will change for the best.

I also want to be a voice for other neurodivergent artists because I know how big the stigma we face as artists and human beings is.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://artistmarlenejorge.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marlenejorgeartist
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iammarlenejorge/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marlenejorge/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/marjorgeartist

Image Credits
Le Visuale LLC