UNGENERIC Podcast
Get an insight look at the process, motivation, and journey of a creative mind. Brought to you by XZBT Media.
UNGENERIC Podcast
Episode 8: Jordan Queira | Finding Freedom Through Creative Expression Changes Everything
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Step into the vibrant world of Jordan (known professionally as Gemini), a self-taught artist whose journey from Toronto to Los Angeles reveals what happens when raw talent meets unwavering determination. Through our candid conversation, Jordan shares the story behind her most impressive creation—a stunning nine-foot tall portrait of Cardi B that took over 120 hours to complete—and the surprising way her first major art sale funded her move to LA.
Jordan's artistic path wasn't always clear. Though she drew constantly as a child, her primary creative outlet was competitive dance. It wasn't until adulthood that art became her refuge—a way to escape responsibilities and eventually, during the pandemic, her full-time passion. With refreshing honesty, she confirms the "starving artist" stereotype, reflecting on how she survived four years in LA before finally achieving consistent sales in recent months.
What makes Jordan's work truly captivating is her unique aesthetic that blends classical fine art references with contemporary elements. She transforms Renaissance masterpieces by adding modern touches—tattoos, designer fashion, cosmetic enhancements—creating pieces that feel both timeless and boldly current. This distinctive approach has earned her a growing following and opportunities to both create and curate with prominent galleries like Exhibit.
Beyond her artistic techniques, Jordan offers valuable insights for emerging creatives navigating the competitive art world. Her advice is both practical and powerful: participate in gallery shows even when financially challenging, create what genuinely inspires you rather than chasing trends, and persist through moments of doubt. Her evolution from artist to curator demonstrates her commitment to lifting others up in the community that welcomed her.
Discover Jordan's stunning work on Instagram @Gxminii and experience it firsthand at upcoming exhibitions—including her curation of Exhibit's "Sensory Overload" show on May 10th and her featured work at their Vegas event. Whether you're an art enthusiast or fellow creative, her story reminds us that the most authentic expression often yields the most meaningful connection.
Jordan's 9-Foot Cardi B Masterpiece
Speaker 1well , I'm glad to be interviewing you this evening because I absolutely am in love with your art .
Speaker 2Thank , you since you're a giant .
Speaker 1What is it like ? 16 foot tall ? She's almost nine feet tall . Oh my goodness , just absolutely captivating , thank you . If those of you at home don't know , you need to go on to her instagram and actually you need to see it in person . I don't know when you're going to have it in person next , but she's got a nine foot tall beautiful piece of Cardi B . And how long did that take you ?
Speaker 2Oh my goodness , I think that took me like 120 hours to paint , and then I don't know how long it took me to actually like build the frame and like frame it . That was a whole other ordeal , cause you had to pull that canvas and everything . Yeah , tools I've never used before we used . It was a whole thing , but honestly it was . It turned out great . So I'm going to hold on to her for a little bit longer , right ? I wouldn't want to sell her either . I'd be like I'm not ready to let her go .
Speaker 1You're like you can look , but yeah , I'm going to keep her with me a little longer .
Speaker 1Okay , I'm , I'm moving way far ahead . So we're going to , we're going to , like , turn the wheels back right now . I'm going to get to know you . I'm going to , I'm going to peel back your layers tonight . That's my jam . So tell me a little bit about yourself before you started art , or maybe art started at I don't know super young age . But we're going to , we're going to go back to the beginning . Tell me a little bit about yourself and how you came to this art world
Journey into Art from Dancing Roots
Speaker 1.
Speaker 2Yeah , so I've always been a creative . Since I was younger . I've actually started with dancing since I was a baby . I was always dancing . I did the whole competitive thing . Art was something I didn't think about . I was always drawing as a kid , drawing instead of doing my homework , that kind of stuff . I never really thought about it , it was just something I did for fun . Doing my homework , like that kind of stuff . I never really thought about it , it was just something I did for fun . It wasn't until , like I kind of got older and I guess , like becoming an adult , I just art was just like hiding from being an adult , my responsibility , so I kind of just became engulfed in it . And then by the time , covid like had hit , there was nothing else to do but like art . So I really was just like you know what was nothing else to do but like art ? So I really was just like you know what I want to do ? This it's what makes me happy .
Speaker 1Um . So , moving into , like I know we talked about your Instagram and things like that how do you feel ? Like ? Um , you've navigated with social media as a tool to guard .
Speaker 2Um , I think I , like many artists , hate it . It just takes away , and I'm trying so hard to like be better at creating content and just it's , just , it's the worst .
Speaker 1I feel like this has been a huge debate with you know , the art world , artists , singers , performers , things like that . It's like I feel like we have to play this delicate game with you know . It's no longer about , like , quality of art or quality of songs and things like that , it's just about , oh , how many followers do you have , right ? And it's not like I mean , it can be like jackass McGee up there and then like , oh sweet , we have a million followers
Social Media Struggles for Artists
Speaker 1.
Speaker 2So you must be great Right Um .
Speaker 1Is there anything that you've found that has kind of helped benefit , or is it just kind of like deterred you and you're like no ?
Speaker 2honestly , it's just like a . It's a daily struggle like I . I try not to get deterred by it , but yeah , it's just hard . Honestly , the the best um thing that social media has done is just like get me connected with people , but I find like when I do shows that's how I get followers . Like I don't get followers from my content because it's just really not that good . Like I'm just gonna be honest , like I hate doing it and I forget to do it . I'm like in the middle of painting and I'm like , oh dang , I was supposed to get that and I have so many .
Speaker 2I just want to live life no , I have so many unfinished like videos . My my TikTok like draft folder is insane Like hundreds of drafts on lock started , but then , like they just yeah , the process gets lost somewhere .
Speaker 1Yeah absolutely yeah , I feel like it's a constant battle . It really is I need to hire somebody to . I did that , help me . I finally gave in . I was like , listen , I need to just hire a media person . So I'm telling you it's worth every penny . So definitely I'll give you my guy . Okay , good .
Speaker 2Sounds great . I need him .
Speaker 1What do you ? Okay ? So there's a whole stereotype , our whole lives you heard of like starving artists . What's your take on that ? It's true .
Speaker 2It's so true . Yeah , like four years in LA , I feel like I've the past six months I've really just started like consistently selling artwork , um , and even just getting classes with doing the paint and sips , um , stuff like that . But prior I look back and I'm like I don't even know how I survived , like rent and just feeding myself . I'm like , wow , I don't know how I did that .
Speaker 1Yeah , it's a lot crazy I feel like I had this conversation with someone this morning where , like so many people come into you know it could be artistry , it could be the music world , and they're like look , I just want to quit my day job . And then the reality is no , you're probably going to have that day job , along with your artistry job , for forever , for the foreseeable future , I think , especially in LA or California in general , because it's so expensive .
Speaker 2The prices are just so expensive . Um , and then it's like a whole other thing . It's like , if you have a job , how do you even find the time to be creative ? Then it's a juggling act . It's real hard , but honestly , I've just kind of given all into this art thing and although it's been hard , it's been super rewarding . So I'm just going to keep at it , even though I'm still kind of struggling . But it's okay , I'm starting to see the light a little bit . So we're getting there .
Speaker 1Well , and like you said , it's kind of like your escape too , yeah . To use it as your you know , therapy or whatever , Just kind of your little magical time to yourself .
Speaker 2Yeah , I totally get lost . Like I start painting and I'm like wait , what time is it , what day is it ? Like it's just totally like a mental escape for me .
Speaker 1How long do you usually say like you'd spend on a painting , like you're going to go home tonight and start painting ? How long would you typically spend ?
Speaker 2It really depends , um . Sometimes I can get lost in painting for like 10 hours straight , without eating , without doing anything , um , but then sometimes I'm like I can't paint for a week . It's just like a mental block . So it really depends on
Evolution of Creative Freedom
Speaker 2my mood and what's going on , but usually I'll do like three hour intervals here and there . I'm a big procrastinator though , so I need to take breaks .
Speaker 1Yeah , that's funny . I'm totally the same way . I'm like we'll just mess with this for a minute and then we're going to leave it alone , exactly . Um , what would you say to like a young artist ? That's just starting out . What is something , some advice to like a young artist that's just starting out .
Speaker 2What is something ? Some advice , um , as cliche as it sounds , keep going . Um , a big like . A big piece of advice I would also give to artists is get out there in shows . Um , I talked to a lot of artists who are scared to get involved with the art gallery or they're just like financially not ready . Just do it , find a way , because it's an art show like , it's an investment in yourself . Um , and whether you're selling a painting or meeting someone who's gonna like benefit you . Everywhere I've gone today is because I've been , you know , just , I've been doing galleries and meeting people . Um , you never know who will help you and just better your art career . You really don't .
Speaker 1It could be anybody absolutely the networking is key .
Speaker 2Yeah , I always make fun . They're like I guess it was another networking day , but you could really meet anybody at any time .
Speaker 1You never know who's watching too . That will change your life . You know going to come through and see those pieces and be like okay this is what I want in my place .
Speaker 2Yeah , exactly . But yeah , just keep going and you have to believe in yourself , because no one's gonna believe in you if you don't believe in yourself on every side .
Speaker 1Okay , so let's talk about little jordan like where the art started .
Speaker 2Where are you from originally ? I'm from toronto , canada . The cold , oh the cold , the cold .
Speaker 1Oh so , what brought you this way ? What ? What brought you to the West coast ?
Speaker 2Um , I really wanted to just move somewhere . I didn't have anything tying me down , like no husband , no kids , and I was like you know , I just I feel like I need to just go somewhere else . Um , and then I was debating between New York and LA and and then I was like you know , I don't know why I would move to somewhere in the same weather temperament as Toronto . I'm going to move somewhere . I don't want to see the snow . So LA was yeah , yeah , we definitely don't see snow here . Yeah , definitely not . So that's why I'm here . Okay , so is art prevalent in school for you ? Honestly , not really . Like . I took a couple of art classes in high school , just like for fun , but it's , it's so weird Cause like I've been drawing my whole life , I just never thought , thought about it , like it was just a distraction , almost okay , and what was the first medium that you picked up ?
Speaker 2um , definitely drawing like pencils , crayons . And then when I started getting older , I got into like painting , because I started to want art in my space . So I would like create or paint something that I wanted in my room or like in my house . So that's kind of where that began . And then , you know , a few people started like oh , I want that . Um . And then I'm like wait , I can sell this . So that's kind of how that idea got stuck in my head , okay .
Speaker 1And then inspiration , inspiration , wise . So I love looking at your art because I feel like you're almost it's almost fine art influence , but then your own twist on it , yes , so how did that come to be ? Because I feel like it's almost kind of edgy fetishy , but fine artsy . It's very cool blend .
Speaker 2I love it , thank you , I'm just like inspired by life in general . Um , a lot of my art is either like real mostly women , um or heavily based on like . I love classical art , like the most famous paintings , but I just like to like turn them into what I think they would look like today with , like the Botox and the fake boobs and all that Like I don't know . It's just fun to do that kind of stuff .
Speaker 1Yeah , I love it . You use a lot of straps and high heels and tattoos . I like that you incorporate the tattoos . Yes , I love it . You use a lot of straps and high heels and tattoos . I like that you incorporate the tattoos .
Speaker 2I feel like I'm making art within art when I do tattoos .
Speaker 1I like that it's fun . I've ever thought of like tattooing or anything like that .
Speaker 2I actually used to tattoo . Okay , um , I started tattooing . Um , basically , in Toronto , one of my girlfriends she ran a tattoo shop . She's like , like you can draw , so just like come do it and it's cool , like I've actually tattooed like almost my entire leg myself . Oh , that's awesome , um , but I just didn't find it like as enjoyable because , like , people come into a tattoo shop and they're like I want this very specific thing . There's not a lot of like creative freedom in that , you know , yeah , you don't ever get .
Speaker 1Well , I mean , you do get those some clients that are just like oh , do what you want , right . But then most clients are I want an infinity symbol or nothing . Against people who want infinity symbols . You want to do 80 of those exactly it's all like the same .
Speaker 2Yeah , it's just not enjoyable to me . Yeah , and it's so much more pressure . You can't't mess up with tattoos .
Speaker 1Yeah , you can't like paint over the canvas , yeah exactly .
Speaker 2I can't like undo on my iPad .
Speaker 1None of that . How do you feel your style has evolved over the years ?
Speaker 2Oh , honestly , I just feel more like I feel less scared . Before I would never even , because I basically am mostly self-taught so I would never dare to like paint a face like a portrait , um , so I think I'm just a little bit more daring and yeah , I'll just . I like to just experiment and I'll basically try anything . So that's helped me a lot and I'm actually surprised by , like , my ability when I just like I'm just gonna going to try something , see how it goes .
Speaker 1How was it doing Um cause you ? Is it acrylic ? Is that the medium ?
Speaker 2I use mostly acrylic . Sometimes mean um oil , but it stinks so mostly acrylic .
Speaker 1She's like I'm not trying to do that in the house . Um , do you remember the first piece you did that you were like super proud of .
Speaker 2Oh , my goodness , the first piece I did that I was super proud of . Honestly , I have a lot of paintings in my mom's house right now that I did um , I'm trying to think first piece is probably a lola bunny that I like , oh yeah . And then the background I made um , it was all hundred dollar bills with like they they were zigzags but they look like $100 bills and that was the entire background and I just it's still in my old room at my parents' house above my bed , yeah . So I think that's pretty like one of my earlier paintings that I really love , that I'm proud of .
Speaker 1Nice and you said I love how you're , like I just draw stuff I want in my house because I know how it is , like you have a specific idea in your mind of what you want in your house and you kind of refine that . So I love that .
Speaker 2You're like , oh , I'm just gonna do it myself exactly , and that's kind of honestly , I think , being I don't want to say professional artist , but like doing this for a living um , you kind of get wrapped up in like okay , I need to make a painting that will sell . And I kind of started getting like a little too wrapped up in that . And then recently I'm like no , you need to just paint like what you want , what I would want in my house . So I'm starting to get back into that and , honestly , I'm selling more paintings that way . So I just need to stick to like what I like and what I would put up in my own space .
Speaker 1Yeah , you feel like when you stick to your truth and like follow what you would want instead of like chasing the money yes , I'm trying to get wrapped up in like what I think people want . Yeah , and that's never . It never works out that way . Yeah , because when you try and change who you are genuinely , then it's not . You're not speaking your truth Exactly and then you get even more disappointed when it doesn't sell your truth Exactly .
Speaker 2And then you get even more disappointed when it doesn't sell and you're like I thought , I really thought this was going to be the one , yeah .
Speaker 1So where do you draw your inspiration from ? Then ,
Navigating the LA Art Scene
Speaker 1like , if you have a block , and you're like , okay , I really want to make this piece .
Speaker 2Honestly , there are , like , because I'm inspired by , like art and like life Other content creators , like there's this girl , I love her . Shout out to Taylor White , I have tons of paintings of her . My boyfriend actually gets pissed because he's like , why are you always painting this girl ? Like , what is your obsession ? But like , just her content is like art in itself and it makes me feel a way . So I'm like I want to repaint it , put my little twist on it and put it out there . So I just I love what I see and I want to recreate it and make other people feel what I feel when I see it . I love that .
Speaker 1I love that . That's why I'm same with music , like I'm like okay , I know what . I like , so I want to give that gift to other people . I love that you do that , yeah , gift to other people . I love that you do that . Yeah , yeah , um , so , moving forward into art and the art world , like what like , if you had one dream and goal for like your art pieces , what would it be ? I ?
Speaker 2don't know if I necessarily have like an end goal for my art per se , like I just enjoy creating art so much , but I am really interested in like the curating side and like the business side . I'm starting to like dip my toes into the curating side of the art world , which I really it's giving me like a different purpose , so I'm trying to get more involved on that side of things . I love that .
Speaker 1So like dealing with a gallery and like having maybe your own gallery , something like that .
Speaker 2Yeah , and just like helping artists , cause you know , when I came to LA , I knew nobody , I had no idea what was going on , what I was doing , um , and I met a couple artists that like really put me on , um , put me on to exhibit . So like I want to be like that person for other artists that just don't know what they're doing , where to go , yeah , how to start exactly out there .
Speaker 1That's the thing . It's like getting your name out there . There's so many artists , it's like so many artists , what do you think was your first kind of like jumping off spot for getting your art out there ?
Speaker 2just moving to la in general , like I felt like tor Toronto , there wasn't really an art scene . Like there was an art scene , I just feel like it wasn't big enough that I could like get into it . I always felt like I was seeing the same artists and I just didn't know how to like get into it . So , moving here and just getting more involved , I kind of realized something . I'm like is it LA or is it just me ? Moving out here , I had to grind different because I'm away from my family , I don't have a plan B , so like I had to work a lot harder out here .
Speaker 1Yeah , you're like striving to survive .
Speaker 2And it's just like no distractions . So I think that was like the big okay , we're doing this , it's happening .
Speaker 1I think that was like the big okay , we're doing this , it's happening and is your family super supportive of you coming all this way .
Speaker 2At first , like my parents would never like disown me or anything . They're going to support me . No matter , I have the best parents ever .
Speaker 2Honestly , I love them so much . Shout out to them . But at first they were kind of like , okay , you're going to use LA , like why , like okay , but like they would never say no . And I think now , um , seeing like how far I've come , like they're just so proud of me and it I don't know . They came to my last art show in February and it was . It was so nice to see them there .
Speaker 1Like I had a solo show , it was great that's huge in the art world , because I know it's really hard for artists to have supportive families because they're like , oh , you need to go to college , you need to do this , you need to do that . So when you're like , hey , I'm gonna run away to LA and be an artist , yeah , so yeah , big kudos to your parents for being so supportive .
Speaker 2I see all the time with artists that are going through it and I'm like , wow , I'm so lucky , yeah , I'm so lucky big time .
Speaker 1Do you feel like any of your pieces are um like a statement piece or like an escape or some sort of like storytelling ? Are there any of your pieces that have that like storytelling piece to it ?
Speaker 2um , yeah , I think a lot of my um pieces that I remake , I try to put like a lot of like little easter eggs in there and just try to tell a story . Um , I just like to see like the reactions of people when I'm at my shows . Just like I don't know how they react , just like gives me , it just makes me happy .
Speaker 1What are other um big artists that you look up to , Like they can be like dead artists , shout out to the dead greats , or like new ones , things that you could really look up to .
Speaker 2Yeah , honestly , for some reason I always loved Picasso and Frida growing up and for some reason , when my mom was , when I was younger , my mom bought me this Tiffany ring that Picasso's daughter designed , and I didn't even know it at the time . I had no idea and I still have it . I'm not wearing it today , but I don't know , years later . Like this was a couple years ago . I'm like wait , this is a Picasso ring .
Speaker 2I'm like this is crazy , it's like a full circle moment , like it was meant to be , so that is really cool .
Speaker 1Yeah , oh , that's really neat . I have that . Now I'm gonna have to go home and look that up .
Speaker 2What does this look ? Um , this is what the ring looks like . It's like a little weird heart .
Speaker 1Okay , that makes sense . I feel like so much of Tiffany's stuff is like the hearts yeah .
Speaker 2And it's kind of like a Picasso cause it's just like it's not a standard heart . It's like a little weird . It's like offsets yeah . Yeah , it's always a little wonky . Yeah , I love the wonkiness yeah
New Projects and Future Shows
Speaker 2scream oh yep , it's right there .
Speaker 1I love that . I was . I was like this is so cool . Yeah , the scheme , Love it Absolutely . So have you ever experienced a time in your life where , like you know what this is just not , you know , where you kind of like second guess yourself , or you had like a moment where you had to like , okay , maybe this isn't for me or maybe I need to change my path , or something like that .
Speaker 2I've had that thought probably about a thousand times since I moved to LA . I've been here . It'll be four years in July . Um , it feels like 40 , but yeah , la years can feel like that . You know what's so funny ? When I first moved here , um , the first person I met was like , oh , I just want to be around you because you still have that sparkle and life in you . He's like that will die , um , as you stay here and I feel like you still have such a spark in your eye , though I honestly it's like it's because I do what I love and even on the bad days like that , I'm like can I do this ? I should just go home and run into my parents arms and just , but honestly , I'm I'm proud of myself for sticking through it , and I think I'm at a point where things are finally like really starting to take off in every aspect . So I'm just trying to be grateful and hold on for the ride , cause it's getting crazy .
Speaker 1Yeah , I've noticed you have a lot of shows . Yeah , sold a lot of pieces . How did it feel when you sold your first piece ?
Speaker 2Oh my gosh , it was , I think , like my first big piece . Actually , I sold in Toronto and that actually was the money that brought me to LA . That's incredible , so that was like my first big sale and , yeah , it's just weird knowing that people pay for something that's going to be like in their home that they look at every day . It's a good feeling . It's really weird , but it's a good feeling .
Speaker 1That's so . I'm like getting all misty . So what are you currently like ? Are you bringing out new pieces ? What are you currently working on ?
Speaker 2Can we sneak peek at anything ? I'm really trying to get into oil painting , but just the trying process . So I have like three paintings that I'm working on right now . I'm very excited because it's kind of like that I'm redoing the birth of Venus , which , without giving too much away , I'm really excited for that one . It might be like one of my new favorites . I'm excited . Is it another big one ? It's medium , it's not huge . I think I need a break from the big ones because , honestly , building that was huge , but also it's like storing that is another mess and just like taking it places .
Speaker 1Yeah , and not messing it up .
Speaker 2Yeah , I'm sure it's super fragile and she's gone , she's , she's , has her mileage put on her .
Speaker 1I was going to say , and transporting You're like , I don't need to rent a truck .
Speaker 2It's a big ordeal , but I love her .
Speaker 1Yeah , I don't even know how you could part with it , so take me back to that minute when you decided to do this ginormous Cardi B piece .
Speaker 2Um , I was actually living downtown , um , in a building that had a gallery that was empty . Oh , um , and the guy who was running the gallery , he basically was like hey , I need a gigantic painting for the window , so like you could paint whatever you want . And I was like you know what , okay , cool , and I don't know . I was listening to music and I don't even know what Cardi B song it is . I have to think about that . But she had this amazing , like Renaissance-y outfit and I'm like I need to paint that . It was everything in the moment . So , yeah , I decided to make it nine feet tall , that's fantastic .
Speaker 1Yes , and again , go look it up , tell us your Instagram before I forget .
Speaker 2My Instagram is at Gemini , which is G X M I N I I .
Speaker 1Fabulous , go follow her . I'm not joking , so I always like to ask someone one question . That is my random question , because I just have to do this . What is your favorite scary movie ?
Speaker 2Oh , my goodness , there's too many , but probably the conjuring . Oh , I'm like a paranormal girly , yes , and just the fact that it's based on , like , true story , I eat it up . It's so good . I'm probably gonna go home and watch that tonight . Which one was your favorite ?
Speaker 1the first one , me too , the best one . So good , nothing hits like the first one . I feel like it was the same with like Paranormal Activity . Exactly , it had such . It was different . It was new , like Blair Witch Project . I don't know if you ever got into that back in the day .
Speaker 2Oh my gosh , I remember watching that . There was nothing like it , yeah .
Speaker 1When I was young and being so scared , an adult , and I'm like what ? We're so desensitized . Now we're like this is horrible . So desensitized You're like oh , why did I even like this ? So what , um , what shows we have coming up so we can see your art ?
Speaker 2shows . Well , I am curating for the exhibit sensory overload show on May 10th and I'm very excited about the lineup . It's super amazing . After that , I think I will be having my show , my art , in the Vegas show , perfect , also with Exhibit , and that will be first Friday in Vegas .
Speaker 1Yeah , huge shout out to Exhibit . I absolutely love them . They're great . I love that I get to speak with fabulous artists and things on this show .
Speaker 2And then they bring people out into the light . I mean it's huge , they really do . They really do there's . You know , there's like galleries that , as artists , we give ourselves to and we like financially , emotionally , like it's . It's draining to be in these shows , but um , exhibit is just one of those galleries that , like they really give back . And yeah , a lot has happened for me because of Exhibit , so I just want to spread the love and pass it forward and do for others what people have done for me .
Speaker 1Absolutely , so anything moving forward that you'd like us to know about you Honestly ?
Speaker 2I just want to make more art and do more shows and get more out there with like curating , but yeah , Well , ms Jordan , thank you for taking time and speaking with me today , letting me talk to you .
Speaker 1I absolutely I cannot wait to see the birth of Venus . I know it's going to be incredible . Um , and then please go follow this lovely lady .
Speaker 2Thank you for having me so nice to see you Nice to see you .
Speaker 1All right , thanks guys .