Meet Jade Hollingsworth | Art Major, UCLA

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jade Hollingsworth and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jade, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I pursued an artistic career because it has been something that I have loved doing since I was a kid, and it is something that makes me truly happy. I have always been drawn to drawing people specifically when I was younger, and as I got older, art became a “safe haven” for me when I was dealing with mental health issues. Whether it was making a detailed work or a simple smiley face, I was able to channel these emotions into something that was beautiful to me, and through it I was able to process and give value to them. Now I make a lot of art work revolving my sexual identity, gender expression, and grief/loss; and how these experiences have influenced me from childhood to adulthood. Through these works I want to express my own individual experiences with these subjects, but how they also affect different people as a whole or community; whether that has to do with race, gender, sexuality, or an intersectionality. Being a black queer woman, intersectionality is also something that is very important to me because of these different groups that I belong to, and my personal experiences with them. Moreover, I hope that through my work, others will also be able to have their stories heard, or feel inspired to tell their stories as well, in whatever way is meaningful to them.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I have been wanting to pursue art at UCLA ever since I was in 4th grade. In 4th grade we had a project where we had to think about something we wanted to do in the future, look up a college that had your interest, and go to it and make a project on it. I have loved art ever since I was young, and when me and my parents looked up colleges we saw UCLA come up and I decided to go there. After visiting the school I instantly fell in love with it, and it remained a long term goal for me to achieve ever since then. In high school, there were times where it was very difficult for me academically and in my sophomore year I started to struggle with my mental health. However, through my family’s support I was able to see a therapist and it truly changed my life. Moreover, art also played a main role in helping me cope with my emotions, and feel free to express myself how I wanted to. Yet despite the hardships that have come, it never stopped me from achieving my dreams, and I am so blessed that I am able to go to UCLA. I have learned so much from this school and through it I was able to make art that I never have before.

I make a lot of work based on personal experiences that I have had in my life. I discuss subjects such as sexuality, gender expression, grief/loss, and childhood. It is important for me to make this kind of work because through my art I am able to express myself and my experiences in a way that is creative and special to me. Through sharing my experiences with others I feel like I also learn more about myself, and are able to process how these subjects have affected my life. When I was younger, I was a very feminine girl. High school was when I first started to discover my sexuality and it also influenced the way that I express myself; I realized that I wasn’t the super feminine girl that I was when I was younger, however coming to this conclusion and becoming more comfortable in my sexuality and gender expression wasn’t easy and it took a while for me to be truly comfortable with myself. However, I think there is beauty in making art about these moments in your lives, even if it isn’t something physical; because you are able to see how far you have come and you might realize that you aren’t alone in how you feel. The same can be said regarding my work on grief/loss, losing my father two years ago not only altered my view of grief but my relationship with it as well. I also wear my dad’s clothes as a way of being closer to him, and make work that talks about these things, and how important he has been in me becoming more comfortable with my gender expression. Making works about my father have been painful at times, but through it I was also able to feel closer to him, and that mattered more to me than anything.

In the future I hope to continue working in the art field in but in storyboarding or animation. I am currently in a class where I am making a film based off of losing my father/losing a parent, and wearing their clothes as a way of always staying connected with them. I am so thankful for all the opportunities that the UCLA Art Department and Animation Department have given me in exploring different mediums and allowing me to meet so many amazing classmates and faculty who continue to inspire me and give me the resources I need to succeed. Most importantly, being able to make my art and going after my dreams, and I am so excited to see what is in store for me after graduation.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Some of my favorite spots in LA are a mix of food places/shopping areas and parks! One of my favorite places is Little Tokyo in Downtown LA (DTLA)! I love walking around the city and Little Tokyo is a really fun place to visit! It is filled with a lot of cute shops where you can things from anime merch, to plushies, to japanese beauty products and more. There are also a lot of delicious japanese restaurants and sweet shops. There is a desert shop called “Fugetsu-Do” and the mochi they sell there is so delicious! If you are ever in Little Tokyo and craving something sweet, I definitely recommend visiting this shop! Two of my favorite boba shops in DTLA are “Boba Grande” and “Boba Guys” in Westlake. I love Boba Grande because they give large portion for a really good price, my favorite drink is strawberry green tea with mango popping boba! Boba Guys is located in Historic Filipino Town and I enjoy their “Berry Hibiscus” drink!

Two of my favorite parks are Everett Triangle Park and Vista Hermosa Park! I heard about Everett Triangle Park from a friend and we went there to watch the sunset. It was absolutely gorgeous and you can get an amazing city view! Vista Hermosa Park is also a very beautiful park with a lot of greenery and you also have an amazing city view! Both parks are family friendly and if you’re ever looking for parks to visit in DTLA, I definitely recommend these two spots!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I firstly want to thank my mom and my dad for making me the person that I am today. I would not be who I am without them, and they have always supported me in my artistic career, both financially and emotionally. Most importantly, they showed me what it truly meant to work hard, and be a loving child of God, who serves those around you. My father passed away two years ago, so it hasn’t been the same without him here, but even though he is not here physically, he is always with me wherever I go.

Secondly, I want to thank my grandparents for also supporting me in my artistic career who have also supported me financially and emotionally. Through them I was able to take art lessons where I learned to work with different mediums such as pastels, paint, etc. Moreover, I was also able to work with different styles of art.

I would also like to thank my friend Luz, another artist in the UCLA art department, who recommended me for this interview! She is such a hardworking artist and has always been someone for me to express my ideas to, and give me thoughtful feedback. I cherish her very much along with a lot of my other friends in my major, who have shaped me into the artist that I am today. I am so grateful to be surrounded by a community of passionate artists who care deeply for their craft, but who have also been friends that I could go to for emotional support and uplifting.

Instagram: jaeearts

Image Credits
Doll, Karen H. Ink Drawings, Michelle G.