Jef the Jungle Experience Artist

Name: Jef 
Country: The States
Occupation: Artist

Jef first came to Koh Phangan one and a half years ago with friends, he was shown around the island by a local and saw the beauty of place. He then went to Eden party where he fell in love with the life, people and nature. He has studied Buddhism for most of his life so Thailand also attracted him being a Buddhist country. He was in a corporate job in the States, behind a desk doing pointless work, not doing art for himself but for others (he was a game developer artist). Jef describes this as living the corporate life, he was, in his own words, getting fat and unhealthy and losing his mind. So he made the decision to move to Koh Phangan and says this is the best decision of his life. It has not always been easy but Phangan is now Jef’s home. He came on an education Visa from KPT a wonderful learning facility.
“People from the outside world call the people who live here misfits, I call them family”. Oh, and by the way ladies, Jef is currently single...

When did you start your art and what got you into it?
It was from an early age, around five years old. I was already interested as my father was a painter so I think that got me into doing art. I could see him being creative. I used to draw everyday and after a stack load of paper,  I became an artist. All throughout school it was what I wanted to do.  Coming from a Military family I joined the Military, then after I went to art school to study fine art. I went to four different universities over eight years. I started working as a graphic designer to support myself to do art for a living.
‘Art is not the medium you chose, it is what is inside you, the eyes you use’.
I moved to Czech Republic in 2003 and started working for small games companies, then I had the opportunity to work as a lead artist at a Disney mobile game studio in Prague. After leaving Disney I worked for another small games company. I then came to Thailand for the first time and got a tattoo and said to myself, I could do that! So I started studying the art of tattoo, I bought my first machines, tattooed myself and realised I wanted to be a tattooist. I moved back to the states and got an apprentiship where I learned and studied. A job opportunity then came from a small company called Phantom efx, here I created art and animation for slot machines. This company is now hugely successful! But this is when I realised, whilst in Koh Phangan, that life here was for me. Phangan has this edge, one that I love.

Tell us about work at Jungle Experience?
I met another Jungle artist, Skunk. He.introduced me to the family of wonderful, eccentric, beautiful people of Jungle. Motorbike parts are the most abundant resource on the island as people crash or get new ones etc, we use these parts for our artwork. Ninety percent of our sculptures are made from recycled things, it’s a way of giving back to the environment. I also do live painting shows which are a fun experience, it gets people excited. We made a big dragon which is a joint project between me and skunk, I am really grateful to him for getting me involved. Jungle Experience is a place for real creative artists because they allow us the freedom to express ourselves to our fullest. We are a bit like circus people, the ones that most people in the ‘real world’ think of as strange, but I think we have something special. It really is about the people there.
Lots of credit to the Alien SiSTARS too! They add their special colorful touch to all of the Jungle Exp with their beautiful murals. Every party they will dress up in freaky amazing costumes together with all the Jungle dancers, full body painted and ready to ART-attack everything around them. I feel lucky to be working with them too.

Do you have any other projects you are working on?
I have been studying gesture drawing, you scribble to create the form and people see different things, chaos creates the form. I have been doing a new form of art using wire, it’s like drawing in a 3 dimensional space. I am also learning the Thai language through TPT. But mostly I have been working on my projects at jungle.

How do you spend your free time and what are your favourite places?
I ride my motorcycle, party, hang with my misfit family and talk about the universe and life. I really love Tri Bay, Haad Yuan, Haad Tien, and Why Nam. They’re the most beautiful places, on the planet I think. You can stand outside Eden party on the wooden walkway when the sun is coming up and it illuminates the whole bay. To be fair the island is many different worlds, each place is special in it’s own unique way.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I don’t like to think about it, I like to live now, not in 10 years. Maybe on my flying hover motorbike and really tanned. Married to three women with 18 children.

What is your life philosophy?
Om Mani Padm Hum which is generosity, ethics, patience diligence, renunciation, wisdom.

Catch Jef painting at Jungle Experience Tonight!!!!!