Jasper Johal

More Body as Canvas

When I first immigrated to the US in the 1970s, only sailors and ex-cons had tattoos.

Then in mid 1990s I started to notice some of the models would take their clothes off and reveal small designs here and there on their torsos. As we approached the end of the millennium, it became evident that an urban tribal movement was sweeping across parts of society, and ink parlors started popping up in places like Melrose Avenue.

Punk kids were sporting mohawk hairdos, stud chokers and bla...

Body as canvas

This image is from more than twenty years ago, when digital wasn’t a thing yet. I was still shooting with film cameras.

One day rummaging in my drawer I came across a white eye-liner pencil. A friend was lying by the window. I walked over and asked her if she was up for being a living canvas. It took only a few minutes to draw this on her body. Then I loaded a roll of film and we took some photos.

This photo is from a high res scan from that old negative.

Self acceptance is the best kind of beautiful

Betcee was one of the first people to come shoot with me when I built my photo studio in Venice Beach many years ago. 

What I loved about her was her calm air of self acceptance. It was apparent she had spent time contemplating her strengths and faults, and made peace with both. She was so comfortable in her skin, it made others around her feel more comfortable about themselves. To me that is the best kind of beautiful; one that makes others feel good.

Please join me in my art journey

Some of you have followed my work for a few years, and know all the commercial photography assignments I have been doing. Over the past 15 years I have been blessed to see hundreds of my images published in print magazines and catalogs around the world, including magazine covers in countries as diverse as US, UK, Australia, Russia and more.

When shooting with models for my commercial assignments they always seem to gravitate to the art prints hanging on my walls. I decorate my studios w...