John jay cabuay biography of mahatma gandhi

Some of the most powerful art in Harvard’s Unequal project lies in personal essays. Written by recent graduates and professors, the authors shared the impacts that racism has not only on their fields of expertise, but also on their lives.

The Gazette sought out John Jay Cabuay, an illustrator based in New York, to match their words with dynamic illustrations reflecting the complexity of their worlds: his portraiturecaptures each subject’s spirit and messages against a backdrop of brilliant color and patterns rich with symbolism.

The Gazette sat down with the artist to learn more.

Q&A

John Jay Cabuay

GAZETTE:How long does it take for you to create, from conception to completion?

CABUAY: There are two answers to that.

I have an easier time capturing a person when they’re sitting in front of me, from life than from photographs. I feel like having a sitter there when I’m capturing them is easier for me to finish than someth