Jacques Agbobly

2015 Visual Arts Scholarship Recipient

Jacques' passion for design is deeply rooted in his personal journey, having migrated from Togo, Africa to the United States as a young refugee. He grapples with the dichotomy between his African and American identities, which has sparked a profound appreciation for the expressive power of clothing and textiles in Togolese culture. This fusion of his roots and American fashion design has become the focus of his current work, where he explores African patterns in relation to American culture.

Beyond his artistic pursuits, Jacques is an active member of the LGBTQ community and has been recognized for his advocacy work. Through leading group projects, assemblies, and PSAs on LGBTQ rights in Chicago, he has received accolades such as the Colin Higgins Youth Courage Award, POZ100 award, and Windy City Times' 30 under 30 award.

In his artistic practice, Jacques takes traditional African pattern motifs and recontextualizes them to create contemporary pieces. Using fabric work and digital manipulation techniques, he deconstructs and reconstructs patterns from scanned images of his and his mother's African clothing. He is also fascinated by the interplay between authenticity and inauthenticity. Jacques draws inspiration from patterns and motifs he observes in everyday life, ranging from textiles to mundane objects like security cameras and mailboxes. This keen observation allows him to reappropriate these patterns and incorporate them into his work.

To further his fashion design aspirations and merge his fine arts background with clothing, Jacques plans to attend a pre-college program at Parsons School of Design. This program offers rigorous training in both fine arts and fashion, enabling him to refine his sewing and patterning techniques. He aims to build a strong fashion portfolio that will support his college applications and take his designs to new heights.