Meet Jade Diaz, the visionary artist behind Body by Jade, a captivating fusion of art, luxury, and body positivity. With a passion for art ignited in her early years and a love for fashion illustrations, Jade’s creative journey led her to explore the diverse beauty of the female form. Through her bold use of color, intricate rhinestone embellishments, and empowering portrayals of different body types, she challenges societal norms and promotes self-acceptance in a glamorous and inspirational way. Join us as we delve into Jade’s artistic process, challenges faced, and her vision for the future of Body by Jade.
Can you tell us about your personal journey and how it led you to create Body by Jade?
Of course! I’ve always had a love for art since I was young. Having a great art teacher during my elementary days was the spark I needed and it has been on fire ever since. As a big fashion lover, I especially loved fashion illustrations and all the glamour that was instilled in the designs.
During high school, I always wanted to sell my art and do commissions for others. But I never put the effort into trying to make it happen. Then my college days during lockdown, I was able to spend more time with myself and figure out what I wanted to do with my art. I used that time to experiment with different art styles. Especially with drawing and studying the female body with all the curves and diverse physiques. As I was studying fashion merchandising at the time, it played a part in finding my niche when incorporating glamour in each painting. Especially when witnessing the body positivity campaigns that fashion brands were messaging out at the time.
I also have been following this Instagram account that plays as an online archival of Latin showgirls. I was in love with all the flashy garments and all the amazing stories of these women. However, I noticed that one certain body type was always applauded, so I thought to myself “What if this rhinestone garment was on a different body type?”. Then with finding my niche in painting, having a signature with rhinestones, Body By Jade was created in January of 2021!
As someone who struggles with their own body image issues, I wanted to create Body by Jade so that others can feel good about themselves. Especially in a luxury sense. Your biggest luxury is yourself, so why not treat yourself as a never-ending investment?
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced in establishing Body by Jade, and how did you overcome them?
One challenge I faced was the anxiety of my art being seen. Although I love nude art, it can be seen as “weird” or inappropriate”, so I was hesitant to publicly show my Body By Jade work. So, for a while, I hid my art account from people that I knew.
In a business sense, I wasn’t sure if it would interest people enough to want to buy from me. However, with time, I let go of the fear of being seen and just put my art out there. Eventually, my consistency got me recognition and support to form an audience. When others found my account, I was surprised on how much support I got. From family to friends, to colleagues, and even professors, Body By Jade grew in admiration and appreciation. Receiving that support motivated me to continue to push my art for greatness.
In another sense, I was worried about my prices. When I first had my paintings listed for sale, people would make comments on how my art wasn’t that special to be priced the way they are. But then thankfully after speaking to people in my field, I left it as it is because I know my worth and the impact my paintings bring.
How do you infuse feelings of luxury and sensuality into your paintings?
I try to infuse sensuality and luxury through boldness in my work. I like to bring sensuality into my art by utilizing color, poses, lighting, and shadows. I like to select muses that evoke a feeling of indulgence as well.
With luxury, I love to bring opulence by using rhinestones and embellishments in each of my paintings. Whether they are on a rhinestone bikini, on a necklace, or on an earring, that touch of lavishness is there. I also love how the rhinestones glimmer in my work. It just brings such a fabulous feeling to the piece
What impact do you hope Body by Jade will have on its audience?
I hope people can see themselves in my art. I want others to feel inspired to be their authentic selves. Each of my paintings has its persona and I love them the way they are. I hope my audience can see that and love what they have to offer. From the way they dress, their character, their physique, people should strive to be themselves authentically and unapologetically. It’s boring to see copy and paste of the same formats. So don’t feel like you have to copy others, when you have so much to offer!
I want my audience to feel so empowered and sexy. When someone has a Body by Jade in their house, and it’s a painting of themselves, I want them to feel proud of themselves. Especially to say to themselves, “wow, that’s all me”.
How do you navigate and challenge societal norms and beauty standards through your art?
I try to challenge those norms but showcasing certain body types that might not be seen on a mainstream scale. So I try to bring up what is not being really seen, into a bold painting. A great example of this was the reactions my “Princess Diana” and “Miss Emerald” paintings received. Both paintings have a figures with curves, roles, and a bunch of beauty marks on them. Women and young girls have come up to me and said how much they loved those paintings because it represented themselves. They loved how it was not only represented but in an elegant format.
I try to use certain self-conscious features and turn them into something you feel good about. Life is too short to feel bad about yourself. If everyone looked the same, it wouldn’t be the same beautiful world.
Can you share a memorable moment or experience you’ve had while creating or showcasing your artwork?
Recently I made an Instagram carousel celebrating the amazing women I have painted for International Women’s Day. Little did I know those same women saw it and reached out to me to share their appreciation and inspiration. I tried hard not to fangirl because I am a huge fan of those women and their impact! That was a great reminder to myself that my creative direction for Body By Jade is on the right path.
What advice would you give to aspiring artists or entrepreneurs looking to follow their passion, especially in fields that may challenge conventional perceptions?
I would say to give it a try! Wasted potential hurts so much more than what others will think of you. You have nothing to lose! So what if someone doesn’t like it, that’s okay. Not every art piece is for everyone and that’s okay. Everyone has their group that will appreciate you and your art! There’s a whole community waiting for your artwork, so put it out there! You never know who is waiting for your art!
I love to read this one quote by my favorite creative, Tyler the Creator who says “Whatever brings you that immense joy, do that, that’s your luxury”. I feel like every aspiring artist and entrepreneur should see their art or craft as a luxury.
How do you maintain a balance between promoting body positivity and addressing the complexities of self-esteem and self-image in your work?
Sometimes I pick certain muses to emphasize a certain body feature, that I have been once severely insecure about. With that, I then build the piece to center that body part in a way to promote self-confidence. Whether that’s using poses that show the creases and body rolls of the body, to a zoomed-in piece that showcases beauty moles all over a body. I do this because there were times when I would feel self-conscious about having back rolls or a whole bunch of beauty marks on my body. But now I like to see that I am using my creative outlet to address those self-esteem and self-image complexities.
How has your own journey towards self-acceptance influenced the messages conveyed through Body by Jade?
As someone who struggles with body image issues, I try to focus on the originality of what I have. Not everyone is shaped the same and that’s okay. We all bring a special shape into this world. Also, as someone who loves health and fitness, I learned to appreciate my body. Your body does so much for you! So why be mean to your body. It keeps you alive, it keeps you breathing and living, it fights off illnesses, an so much more. Especially the female body! Our body goes through so much growing up, so we should be grateful for what we have. Especially when going through puberty, menopause, and giving birth.
What are your future goals and aspirations for Body by Jade, both artistically and as a business venture?
In an artistic sense I hope to continue to challenge norms and make people stop and stare at my art. I hope to maybe collaborate with other artists as well! I’d love to see what I can make and learn from another creative. I hope to have a name for myself in the art world too. Especially have my art presence in galleries all over the world and host a solo show in other countries like in Dominican Republic, Mexico, Paris, or Italy! I would love to do special commissions for public figures, brands, or local businesses too.
In a business sense, like any luxury brand, I want to eventually create affordable ways for others to receive my art. So I am currently making plans for that. I hope to have my own foundation or cause to help others! I currently have certain paintings tied with specific organizations to give back. When someone purchases a painting, a portion of that sale will go to an organization of choice.
I hope to collaborate with fashion creatives in the future. I would love to one day have a collaboration that showcases apparel and footwear. Especially to collaborate with a brand and showcase my own footwear collection with my art. My current top brands are Swarvoski, Dior, Karoline Vitto, and New Balance!
