“I observe life, characters and paint people I meet. Each painting is a unique avatar for a city, a mood, memory or mostly a person.”

For Young Jarus, the ability to step back and reflect on his personal experiences, relationships, and simplistic love of life has allowed the growing graffiti artist to build a worldwide reputation. People from all over the world who learn about Young Jarus Mural Art get to experience the Canadian-born artist’s passion for realism with every commission he is assigned. For the artist, all of Young Jarus' graffiti art is a chance to translate his personal vision onto the wall or surface, creating meaning in his mural art. His passion has led to a successful and promising career, with more in store for the future.

An Unlikely Beginning

Young Jarus experienced what many might consider a less-than-ideal start: the would-be graffiti artist was born in Regina, Saskatchewan, known mostly for its grain industry rather than its artistry. While seemingly not the best place to begin a mural art career, it was Jarus’ grandmother, a watercolor artist, who introduced the young boy to art, something he began to see as a career during his time in high school.

Freight train graffiti on the freight burners that would pass through the city was the mural artist’s first introduction to train graffiti art. He quickly added to the train graffiti cars with his own personal mural art pieces, developing the skills he would later utilize to revitalize the graffiti art scene with unique Young Jarus Mural Work. Young Jarus ventured into the academic world by attending the Academy of Realist Art in Toronto, but found it wasn’t for him, and set out to make his career after only three months in the school.

To those who view artwork by Young Jarus, his bold move was the right one; and, eventually, experimenting with latex paint and larger walls, the artist would transform his initial love for graffiti art into a love for fully developed murals.

The Visual Human Experience and Realism

Young Jarus considers himself inspired by “the visual human experience.”

“I like painting figures that I see in life and then putting them through my own filter. It’s realistic and represents what I’m seeing, but it’s also done using my own techniques. It gets geometric and prismatic. I really enjoy that process.”

Joining the many artists who have brought what some call a renaissance to the graffiti art scene, Young Jarus Mural Art places meaning above flashy colors and thick paint, evoking emotions in those who view artwork by Young Jarus. His artistic style is very impressionistic in its feel while still emphasizing realism in its interpretation of humanity. Young Jarus chooses to paint people he knows, adding a personal feel to the mural art pieces. Fading out the strokes adds a sense of mortality while a play on colors and composition creates life in the figures on the wall. In short, Young Jarus Artwork is a celebration of life, a continuation of the new graffiti art theme of creating work which taps into the life of the everyday consumer, showing them what truly matters.

Young Jarus Mural Work Worldwide

Young Jarus has created quite a reputation for himself as a worldwide creator. Young Jarus Mural Art has found its home base in Toronto, yet the artist seldom spends much time there. In fact, Young Jarus once stated that he had been traveling to too many countries in a past year and wished to slow it down in the next. The artist has found himself in Kiev painting a mural of a man on a bicycle; then in Dharavi, exploring the culture of the city through a mural of a local resident; then in Sweden, painting a reflective mural of a young woman; then back in his hometown, creating  culturally important mural for the Filipino community of Canada. Perhaps one of Young Jarus’s most famous pieces came from his collaboration with Francisco Bosoletti on an adaptation of Apollo and Daphne for Berlin. In all Young Jarus Mural Work, the commitment to creating intriguing and skillful works full of realism remains intact.

Young Jarus Artwork in Toronto

Though an avid traveler, artist Young Jarus enjoys his down time in the Toronto studio and his collaborations in the city. He often spends his time in the west end, sketching out ideas for more Young Jarus Artwork or just exploring simple thoughts while at live venues or public places. The night life of the city provides the perfect atmosphere for Young Jarus to create his mural art while the diversity found within Toronto allows the artist to expand upon his portraiture with fresh takes. He describes Toronto’s vibe as feeling American while still being uniquely Canadian, something he has grown to love.

“I think Toronto really is a place that you can base yourself out of instead of being in LA or New York. There are so many good artists living here and Toronto is definitely on the world stage right now. It’s given me the opportunity to foster my skills. And it’s inspired me to travel. I was able to do something successful here and it gave me the motivation to travel further. I’ve continued to base myself here because it’s been such a good city to me.”

Young Jarus Recent Work

JARUS is always looking for an opportunity to begin to craft a new mural art piece. He often answers open calls, exploring new terrain and pitching new ideas to communities for their next murals; however, the artist is also committed to his down time, crafting his skills through drawing, painting, and understanding the people around him. His Instagram is full of shots of his recent murals including works in Valparaiso, Sweden, Hilo, and Mana. Artist Young Jarus often enjoys sharing his initial concepts or sketches of a finished piece. While the artist himself never knows where his next murals will come from, the graffiti art world can be sure that new and exciting things are just around the corner for Young Jarus.

follow Young Jarus on Instagram: @YoungJarus