Jae

Jae Sterling is a multidisciplinary artist and founding member of the SANSFUCCS collective. Beginning as a musician, he has extended his art form over the years to include painting (acrylic & oil), digital design & mixed media, streetwear design, and written essays. Through his early years in Kingston, Jamaica to the landscapes of North America, Jae has spent the past few years developing his artistry by weaving his experiences growing up in Jamaica, South Florida, and coming into adulthood in Canada into all his projects. In 2019, his exploration in hip hop led him to be one of 10 artists selected for the National Music Centre’s Alberta residency program. Sterling has so far released four music projects and has toured in Alberta & Ontario.

In 2020, Sterling embarked on an ambitious year-long multimedia exhibition, Riding Horses with White Men (RHWWM). This exhibition debuted in Calgary in summer 2020 and is currently touring across Canada into 2021. The success of RHWWM led to him being one of Calgary’s first black muralists, painting The Guide & Protector in Chinatown. Jae’s more recent work, falling under the self-styled title of ‘BULLY’, veers towards examining race, sexuality, violence and art’s ability to retell and heal histories while simultaneously violating them. In 2021 JaeSterling was invited to be the art fellow & curator of the Arts Commons Incubator Program for the 2021-2022 season.