Jay #mixedmonday
Jay Percy, an Afro Caribbean London Artist possesses a great love for the seen and unseen realms and reflects this lovingly in her feminine, psychedelic inspired artwork. Using vibrant hues and lashings of sumptuous gold, she captures the joy of existing as a divine being within the natural world. Her work has been praised for its vibrancy, inspirational nature and empowering approach towards African Diasporic and British Animistic Cosmology. Starting in childhood, Jay has dedicated her existence to understanding the meaning of existence and expressing this through mixed media artwork. To the development of her immense talent, Jay has created an incredibly impressive portfolio of work that purposefully raises more questions than it answers.
How would you describe your ethnicity?
I would describe myself as Multi Generational Mixed (MGM), or Black-Mixed. I'm British Born Afro-Caribbean and have a lot veneration for the entirety of my make-up.
Both of my parents are Mixed. My Father is Biracial and multi-ethnic all at once. His Mother is Scottish, Irish and Nordic and his Father is Afro/Indo Jamaican (my Grandad descends from the Cudjoe Maroons, which is really fascinating to me!). My Mother is MGM- Her Mother is Biracial and her Father is MGM. It means she's a wonderful combination of Afro Antiguan, Madeiran and broadly European. I would consider myself Black-Mixed as the majority of my genetic and social experience is African Diasporic.
Has your mixed-ness influenced your career in any way?
My Mixed-ness has influenced how I approach spiritual artwork I create, and what I talk about on @theafroanimistpodcast as a co-host. I like to explore cross-cultural themes of the Divine Feminine and I feel this is how I explore my heritages- through folklore and traditional Animists beliefs that belong to each land.
If you could describe your mixed identity in one word, what would it be?
Informative.
I thoroughly feel like I've been 'informed' about so many different ways of embodying the human experience through a multicultural framework.
What is the best thing about being mixed heritage?
Because of this combination of cultures that my family has always insisted on celebrating and discussing, I've had a completely multicultural experience growing up and have family members of multiple races. I've always grown up proud to be both Black and Mixed. It's always been really fun and has made me very open minded and able to see the good and and not so good in everyone. I truly feel like my upbringing allowed me to fully integrate and explore all of my Ancestry- Nothing has been left out. The best, best thing is that Christmas is always a mad mix of everything- traditional English roasties, something curried or stewed, mac and cheese, brussels sprouts, rice n peas....
