Loui Jover – An Inspirational Australian Artist
“I had this notion that I was an artist at very early age” says Loui Jover.
As a child he drew everyday with an obsession which has become his mantra today. As he paints and draws every single day, he acquires inspiration from ordinary life – “a cornucopia of influence and inspiration” says Loui.
Born in rural Serbia, this Australian artist is famous for ink wash paintings on vintage book papers, collages and expressing emotion through human faces. Arriving in Australia as a one year old, Loui was greatly influenced by his very creative Hungarian father throughout his childhood. Jover spent his time filling books with cartoons, drawings and many ideas and as his imagination grew so did his abilities to use different types of media to create beautiful pieces of art.
Ink is his favourite medium, but Loui is extremely skilled in oils and acrylics too. His breathtaking collages are a natural reaction to the pop culture and the information age that we live in now. He says” I like to cut existing things out and rearrange them as much as like to draw something from scratch. “
Most of his art embodies the human face or the human form and the myriad of emotions expressed in there. The female face is especially well represented in his work through ink drawings and collages using various media. His popular ink drawings are created on adhered sheets of vintage book paper creating an interesting contrast between the delicate inked sketches and the words on the printed paper.
“There is a fragility to these images that I find interesting (as if the wind may blow them away at any moment) and the hand drawn stark black lines against the intricate printed words of the book pages offer a strange fusion and depth” explains Loui.
Even though Loui is a self-proclaimed recluse, he is rooted in society, drawing inspiration from people around him. “I am an urban dweller and a consumer of popular culture so I reflect this in my work — notions of beauty, melancholia and emotional reactions. The face is the perfect conduit for this and no one can express the nuance of emotion on their faces like women can, “says Loui.
Besides faces, Loui also creates landscape and abstract pieces for galleries and exhibitions, often reflecting the beauty of Sydney Harbour, where he lived for a while.
Having studied graphic designing and visual communication, Jover started his own his own graphics art business for a while but soon realised that he was a free soul and wanted to create art that was not commissioned and restricted.
He even served in the Australian Army as an illustrator reprographic and regimental photographer and has had his work featured in numerous exhibitions and countless articles in magazines and newspapers.
His artwork has influenced many people around the world and he has drawn up a fan following of thousands. Students have taken aspects of his style to create something of their own and he often gets asked to work on different projects.
“This pleases me on an ego level but it is a pure feeling — to influence young people. It would be dubious of any artist who did not want to inspire or influence others. In the very least, I have shown that if one developed a clear vision and style, then they may be able to make a living off it, if they are lucky and can attract a following of people who would like to own their work. The internet is a great place to get your work moving around the world quickly” adds Loui.
But is not all art and drawings for Loui. In his spare time he likes to ride his bike around and explore places on foot. He reads a lot, thinks about life and its many mysteries and loves spending time with his family. He has travelled extensively throughout Asia and Europe. But he is the happiest when he is drawing and painting. He concludes “I draw a lot and think about creating drawings a lot, so whatever else I do is not so exciting!”
Today Loui has an international following including the Malaysian Royal family, Hollywood’s Stafford Brothers, Sir Ronald Arculli, Roberto V Ongpin, The Deutsche Bank and Qantas; and his work is showcased on the internet (Bluethumb and Saatchi Art) for the world to see. You can also find him on all the popular social media sites.
Loui Jover’s art is distinctive and he has a style that is fresh, contemporary and also classical. And one that every designer and artist can embrace and be inspired from.
