OFM Art: Jiji Knight Draws Her Way to Curvy Girl Liberation

The first time I saw Jiji Knight’s work at ComicCon, I was completely blown away. It isn’t just that she embraces curvy women and realistic bodies in her works; it’s the way she puts those bodies front-and-center, making them sexy, edgy, demure—all the things curvy folks are generally deprived of being. 

And the detail she puts into her work is groundbreaking—from stretch marks, curves, and folds to shirt logos and tattoos, her work is beyond inspired. We chatted with her about her work, the creative process, and what makes her want to put art out into the world. 

How did you first become an artist, and what inspires your style and content?
At the risk of sounding cheesy, I have always been an artist! From the moment I could comprehend that putting a pen to a paper made things happen, I would tote around a lined notebook and a ballpoint pen. (There was never a shortage of pens in our house. We had pens from, like, so many of the casinos since they were free and branded promotional material.) I’m inspired by beauty and exploring what that means, by the idea of death and motifs that surround it, and by whatever makes my strange little heart flutter with serotonin. Sometimes what inspires me is revisiting old drawings and reimagining them through an updated lens. 

Where do you come up with all the new ideas for variations on your style?
My inspiration comes a lot from the shape language of fashion and haute couture, fashion illustrations, from some of my favorite artists (like Alphonse Mucha and Audrey Kawasaki), and from personal obsessions. I love flowers, bones, negative space, hourglasses—there are just a lot of items that give me that urge to make something, so I do. Oddly enough, I come up with a lot of my best ideas mid-dissociation. It’s like my brain goes brrrrrrr and just puts together colors and shapes that make sense and the act of making it real is gratifying. Most of all, my best inspiration comes from just making things that make me happy. If it makes me happy, chances are other people will vibe with it and find my joy to make it their own.

Why do you think it is so important to provide imagery and depiction of curvy women in your work?
I think it’s important to provide people the ability to see themselves or someone like themselves in media! We should see ourselves as happy, fat, and thriving. Sad, without the sadness being tied to our weight but more so because we’re crybabies and emotional. Powerful, because we are as powerful as any other person. And, most of all, we should be afforded the chance to feel beautiful. I started out by doing it for me, for my mental health, drawing girls that looked like me. The byproduct of being able to uplift people around me who feel the way I do has been magical. It became less about me and more about us as a community combatting the weird shame that comes with being “the fat friend.” 

What is the best way to be an ally to plus-sized folks and show support?
There are so many little things that go a long way when it comes to being a supportive ally! The first one I want to stress is understanding some places, even as an ally, are not for you. The body positivity movement is a mere shadow of what it started as, and in this day and age is very much dominated by thin bodies. What was once two separate concepts, self-love and body positivity, have long since had their boundaries blurred to the point where they’re unrecognizable from one another and used interchangeably. 

Now it’s less about celebrating fat bodies and more about how all bodies are beautiful. While the sentiment is lovely, and most of us agree all bodies are, in fact, beautiful, spaces that are made by plus-sized people for plus-sized people are important and need to be respected like any other space made by groups to find community, safety, and love. I think the second important thing an ally needs to do is ask themselves is if their show of support is more for themselves than it is for the people they are trying to help empower; did you, as an ally, make your show of support about you and your body in some way, therein overshaddowing the community and the point of the show of support? And lastly, but possibly the most important, would be for an ally to actively work to combat their own fatphobia. What that means for you as an ally is up to you to research. 

How do you hope society and stereotypes will change in the next five to 10 years?
I hope for the inclusion of basic, human things we need as a plus-sized person on a day-to-day basis to what is considered “the normal” for society. Being able to walk into any store and know they carry all of their clothes—no matter what the style—from an XS to at least a 6X as a standard practise would be a dream. 

It would be great for plus-size fashion to not mean ‘dress like a business-casual, middle-aged mom’ as early as our teens because that’s all that’s easily accessible in person. Not having to worry about needing some sort of seat belt extender in any situation would be rad, or being scared you won’t fit into the economy seat on an airplane because the norm means anyone will fit no matter how big or small. Anything that could mitigate the quiet panic attacks we get out of sheer fear or embarrassment because we need something that isn’t already readily available. My biggest hope for society however is the end of facing medical incompetence in anything health related. BMI is bullshit. Nearly every doctor assumes whatever is wrong with us is because of our weight and nothing else and act like losing it will magically fix everything. Fuck that!    

Do you have anything special you want to promote or announce?
Just my work and my Patreon! I have a monthly sticker club that has become my lifeblood and a way to connect with my fans in turn for their support. For $15 a month, you get early access to my work, first dibs on any new merch I make, store discounts, a private section in my online store of patron-only goodies, first access to any commission openings when they open, and so much more. And that is on top of the two stickers shipped directly to you every month. They’re usually four inches or bigger, sometimes it’s a sticker and sticker sheet, sometimes an extra sticker is included for a set of three that month—I try to keep it fun! 

How can people find your work and buy your art?
I am pretty much @Jijidraws across the board! On Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, and even TikTok and Twitch (though I don’t generally stream). My shop is very simply Jijidraws.shop! Or inprnt.com/gallery/jijidraws for art prints of pieces I no longer personally make prints of. I try to make it very easy to find me (laughs). If you’re not much for social media, I do have a website at JijiKnight.com (also accessible via Jijidraws.com) and a mailing list where you get the heads up on shop openings when they happen. 

Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Yes! I fully believe in uplifting people in your community. 

So if you like what I do, I recommend you check out my illustrator colleagues Maya Kern, Hara Atsume, Sara Tisdale, Jess Lome, Mel Stringer, Shelby Bergen, and Marie Boiseau. They all make body positive work you’d adore! I would also be a fool not to plug The (Other) F Word: A Celebration of the Fat & Fierce edited by Angie Manfredi. It is a nonfiction anthology that features personal essays, poems, art, and more, all by incredible fat influencers, authors, and creators.

*All artwork by Jiji Knight