JXRMXINE

I first discovered J.Cole in 2011 and fell in love with his nostalgic instrumentals and velvety flow. When I conceptualized this piece, I wanted to showcase how epic his growth was using a palette that was inspired by how his music made me feel. This was one of the hardest compositions to resolve because it was my first “double portrait” where I used two images of Cole. I was able to use a double exposure effect to fit the cover of Forest Hills Drive into a powerful side profile portrait of the legend - representing his “heart” and “mind”. I used dogwood flowers to mask his faces since they’re the state flower of North Carolina and speak to where he discovered his love for music.