Manny Jean

‘seeing is too, a kind of understanding’

Hello! My name is Manny and I am an Illustration Animation BA graduate from KSA.

My professional practice is driven by the urge to better understand those around me and the interaction between inner and outer worlds. As a person I am extremely reflective and this reflection is echoed in my work. Through investigating my own experience of the world, I aim to enable reflection in others. In a culture flooded by superficial images of happiness I want to explore what really connects us to each other and the world around us.

Through observing and drawing day to day life it is my aim to encourage people to take a slower approach to their way of living. My short story Mornings follows two friends getting up to enjoy their cups of coffee together before the day begins. I find that joy can be found in reflecting on the moment we are currently in. I think that people have stopped taking the time to enjoy these small moments and interactions as we always seem to be rushing to the next place or to tick off the next thing on the to-do list. Through pieces such as this I aim to highlight the importance of the day to day interactions and aim to encourage a more mindful approach to living.

I am also interested in people and how our relationships are evolving due to the change in environment around us, with technology infringing on our social interactions. I investigate this in my book Touch Hungry, a piece centred around an interview with my flatmates in which we discussed the changing attitudes towards touch and tactility between friends. Through looking at the relationships I have with those in my life I hope that others will be encouraged to reflect on their own relationships. Through making positive and celebratory images about touch I wish to prompt discussion about why such a universal human need has become more commonly seen as invasive and unnecessary.

The very act of drawing and mark-making is very important to how I work. I like the idea that through engaging with a drawing the audience can begin to see through the eyes of the artist. Through following the lines in an image, you follow the gaze of the original seer. This is something I aim to take into consideration as I make my own work. Observational drawing allows me to be fully present in the moment, acknowledging how I am seeing and what I am paying attention to in the world that surrounds me. I believe that through paying greater attention to our surroundings we may be able to understand ourselves and each other a little better.