Jae Sterling is a multidisciplinary artist, curator, and founding member of the FOREIGNERZ arthouse. Informed by and finding ways to blur pop culture, classic, and contemporary art, Sterling’s work veers between heightened expressions of human emotion and exploring dream spaces. His mediums include muralism, graphic illustration, painting, written essays, music, and fashion, and he often presents his work under the title ‘BIG BULLY’.
From his early years in Kingston, Jamaica, to the landscapes of North America, Jae has spent the past decade developing his artistry by weaving his experiences of growing up in Jamaica and South Florida and coming into adulthood in the Canadian prairies into all his projects, predominantly as a musician.
In 2019, his exploration of hip-hop led him to be one of 10 artists selected for the Alberta National Music Centre’s residency program. Sterling has released four music projects and has toured in Alberta and Ontario.
1. Coffee Walks: “I’ve lived downtown for the last four years, and it has completely reprogrammed how I see the city. Before I moved here, as an artist, I had to make the journey downtown almost every weekend for a gig or an exhibition, which made me see it as a place that only existed at night. Now, one of my favourite things to do is take a walk to my favourite coffee spot in the mornings, Cafe Beano. Some myths are true for us artists; a good walk and great coffee surrounded by parks and skyscrapers do wonders for creativity and getting back the “flow.”
2. Public Art: “A lot of the reasons I love Calgary are actually very recent developments that have changed the look of the city for the better. Our downtown has murals on almost every corner now. Thanks to BUMP, there are beautiful and thought-provoking masterworks on so many walls now. I wish these were here when I moved here back in 2009. These murals do a lot more than change the aesthetics of the city; they inspire. They take your mind on a trip even if you didn’t plan for one that day. They not only inspire the artist, I’ve had people from many different working backgrounds tell me how just being exposed to that calibre of diversity in public art has encouraged ingenuity and originality in a place that thought it had itself figured out.”
3. Food and Cocktail Scene: “Calgary has some of the best haunts in Canada. There’s a spot for almost every personality, and as someone who has multiple, I have been to most of them. Feel like a badass, want to pretend you’re an action hero having a night off with the other biker x government agents that went rogue in a Stallone film? Go to Ship & Anchor. Want to look like you know the city inside out, every secret location, where to get the best cocktails, even the ones in Chinatown? Go to Paper Lantern. Then there’s Missy’s [This That] – perfect for a date, the best music and the coolest staff.
4. AMBIEN: “Our underground rave scene is definitely on the rise. New DJs and programmers are making their mark on the city with their sounds and curation. AMBIEN is one of my favourite Calgary-based rave houses. Their parties are always new and exciting, and their aesthetic sensibility is fantastic. Grab an AMBIEN shirt if you can and head to their next rave.”
5. Secret Shop: “In an era where our city is bursting at the seams with pop-up streetwear markets, Secret Shop definitely was one of the first to do it and make a mark. This is still my favourite pop-up market to shop at, and its founder definitely saw the way the wind was going to blow in Calgary before everyone else did. Some of my best fashion finds have been at Secret Shop.”
