Jo Charalambous

Jo Charalambous is a Cypriot artist residing in the UK. She takes inspiration from her homeland, Cyprus.

Her work boasts vibrant color and themes of empowerment and feminism.

Using a mix of delicate shapes and bold compositions the work conveys a sense of freedom and is often self-reflective.

Hey Jo, how did you began your journey as an illustrator? What inspired you
to focus on themes like nature, everyday life and woman empowerment?

I’ve drawn ever since I can remember but for many reasons I didn’t choose to make this my profession and instead studied Marketing in Bristol 18 years ago. I had a great career in advertising, Project managing campaigns which was a lot of fun but also a lot of pressure.

In my stressful days I felt drawn to creativity more and more and found that managing other creative teams just wouldn’t cut it for me any longer. During Covid I made the switch and studied a MA in Illustration from Falmouth University.

Betting on myself was the best decision I ever made; I felt liberated, emotional and new.

The topics that I choose are opinions and ideas that circle in my head or things that bother me and even reflections of what’s going on around me; like a songwriter who writes songs – I draw my emotions and my thoughts. It may sound basic but it is my creative outlet. I say outlet as I cannot contain these drawings in my head, they have to come out!

When I draw it’s like my commentary on the world.

I seek empowerment so I draw it, I am in awe of nature so I bring it into my work.

How does your Cypriot heritage influence your work? Are there specific elements from Cyprus’s culture and natural landscape that you find yourself repeatedly drawn to in your illustrations?

I never planned to be so heavily inspired by Cyprus. It happened organically.

I am drawn to our architecture, our ornate doors and windows, the endless blue in our seas and skies and of course the main source of it all, our sun.

Allowing myself to be creative means allowing all the different parts of me to surface and missing home is a big part. When I go to Cyprus I take in nature, the warmth, the sunsets and that all comes out in my work.

In recent works I’ve also allowed myself to talk about Cyprus’s history a bit more. My Orange Festival scarf tells a story inspired by Morphou, my Parasol Land piece is inspired by a beach in Kerynia, both are nostalgic letters to those occupied parts of Cyprus.

Can you walk us through your creative process from concept to finished piece? Do you have any rituals or specific environments that help you stay inspired and productive?

Journaling is what helps me the most with my creative process. I carry a small journal /sketchbook everywhere I go and I get to download what’s in my brain. It has helped me immensely to understand what’s important to me and what’s just noise from influences around.

It’s also a form of meditation and free therapy which I think is crucial for all artists. We have a universe inside of us, we just need to spend the time to look.
I am my most productive when I start making. Staring at blank pages of a sketchbook or deciding what my next move will be as an artist can be intimidating.

Making art is how I remove that pressure. And the act of creation brings more creation and eventually I see the sparks of something I’d like to keep or rather share with the world.

Every final piece was once a set of inspirational photos, a color palette I saw or just notes and scribbled thumbnails on my phone. I then add more and more detail to it until I can decide it is finished.

Woman empowerment is a prominent theme in your work. How do you choose the subjects and messages you want to convey through your illustrations of women?

I like to draw women as strong but also soft individuals. We are so used to seeing toned perfect bodies and that is just not the kind of beauty that really exists around us.

In my MA I searched for ways to convey this softness without detracting from the beauty and realized just how deep the conditioning of beauty was in myself.

My women are unapologetic, they are themselves and they celebrate their bodies just by being comfortable in their own skin. It’s what I want for myself so this is what comes through in my work.

Nature as a muse. Nature also seems to play a significant role in your art. What aspects of nature do you find most inspiring and how do you translate these into your designs?

The colors, the organic shapes, the way she triumphs through our man-made world is what I find inspiring. The detail in beautiful plants and flowers never ceases to amaze me. I also find it inspiring how nature has seasons, just like us. I want to be surrounded by this beauty and so I bring it into my work.

What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced as a female illustrator? Conversely, what have been some of your most rewarding experiences?

I won’t speak of gender because I am lucky that illustration (for me so far) is very inclusive and so I never felt that being a woman has hindered my creative path. As an illustrator the main challenge I faced is finding my style. For a long time I limited myself as to what I should be doing. I am now realizing that the notion of style can be imprisoning for an artist and that this comes from seeing well curated and aesthetically pleasing feeds online.

Creative work is messy, it’s unpredictable and just like us, creativity ebbs and flows.

The most rewarding experience so far is when a stranger chooses my work to be in their homes. It’s great having support from friends and family as that’s what gets you going when you are starting out but for someone new to choose it makes you feel validated as an artist.

What about your upcoming exhibition?

I am exhibiting as part of a group of artists and illustrators in Cheltenham, UK, until the end of June. I am excited to be part of it as I moved here recently and being part of the creative network in a new place feels good. The exhibition features artists, ceramicists, illustrators,sculptors and jewelry makers and it’s such a lovely variety of works.

Looking ahead, what are your goals and aspirations for your career? Are there any new themes or projects you are excited to explore in the future?

I am currently working on more original pieces and scarf designs which will expand my illustrated product line. I recently created T-shirts that poke fun at beauty standards and I am looking to relaunch these very soon in a more sustainable way.

I am also excited to start working with ceramics again as it feels like a natural progression for my work. In the future, I’d love to take over a space with my works and create an immersive colorful experience for people.

Where can people view and purchase your artwork?

You can find my available art and products on my website www.jocharalambous.com

My instagram and tiktok accounts also show my work live and in situ and there you can also see snippets of my process as well as sketching events I host (at) jodrawsthings.