This Ain't Disneyland

Faiyaz Jafri is an artist and film maker, born and raised in rural Holland of Dutch and Pakistani descent. Jafri’s art explores Jungian archetypes in the modern world. In addition he searches for neo-archetypes* in mass media and global popular culture.

Jafri has always been somewhat of a perfectionist. Realizing that a computer could draw a far straighter line than he ever could, he started to use the computer as his sole medium in the late 80ies and can be seen as one of the pioneers of computer arts.
He began making his first illustrations on a small Apple computer using basic vector imaging software. Cumbersome and limited as these programs may seem now, they where perfect for Jafri’s already pictographic style.
His work evolved from flat line art into a style he calls hyper-unrealism. Innovations in personal computers certainly contributed to this evolution. Despite the vast possibilities offered by modern computers he stays close to his subject, leaving out unnecessary frills and extra’s until he’s left with an image that is unambiguous and almost obscene in it’s blunt power.

His work has an almost clinically engineered feel to it without becoming cold or soulless. It is this contrast between unnatural perfection and the fact that his work conveys a strong emotion that makes his work at times haunting but always strangely human.

Jafri’s films have been selected worldwide in prestigious festivals as well as in the Museum of Modern Art in New York. More on Faiyaz Jafri and his work can be found on his site faiyazjafri.com.

*neo-archetypes are archetypes that don’t take a generation to form, but occur due to accessibility of unlimited data.