Jovan Landry

Who is Jovan Landry?

Jovan Landry began exploring her passion for the arts at 16 years old through personal video blogs, followed by tapping into musical production, film, and photography in High School. This creative path transformed her into a well-spoken and confident individual, giving her multiple avenues to share her experiences. Jovan takes pride in her impact through media and intentionally creates work that reflects an accurate representation of her community and the cultures she contributes to without manipulation. Jovan breaks the conventional image of what it means to be a woman in film, photography, and hip-hop music: Whether it is crouching, lying, or standing on top of a ladder for a particular angle; maneuvering with her subject like a dance; or being onstage as an energetic force with articulate lyrics, embodying both her femininity and masculinity. While all disciplines live separately, Jovan stands firmly in blending each third of her artistry, particularly on personal projects: where she creates her music, directs and edits her music videos, and creates her album artwork.

Jovan earned a B.A in Film & Video from Columbia College Chicago in 2014, and throughout the years worked, utilized her film and photography skills by working with local musicians on music videos (B~Free, Mother Nature, Jovan Landry, Gem Tree), live performances (The Highness Collective, The Microphone Misfitz, The Rosina Project), dance projects (Columbia College Chicago, Onye Ozuzu, Red Clay Dance, Du'Bois A'Keen, Gesel Mason, QDanceCenter), organizations (BRIJ Embassy), and short films, and documentaries (Chi~Voices: A Poetic Film Series, FEAR, The Grandmother Project). Musically, Jovan has self-released five projects, performed on local, national, and international platforms (House of Blues Chicago, Wicker Park Fest, Swag Jam Berlin, Harlem Nights, and Fubar STL, Lincoln Hall) led music workshops (Old Town School of Folk Music, A3C, Experimental Station). Jovan has featured on NPR, Bandcamp, and The Chicago Tribune. Through her work, she has garnered invitations to perform and present at festivals around the world, including danceGATHERING in Lagos, WeWork Creator Awards Berlin, and Black Art Retreat to Haiti with Ozuzudances.

In May 2017, Jovan was awarded the Incubate Grant presented from WeWork Creator Awards in Detroit to create her fifth album "Synergy," an all-women produced and performed Hip-Hop Album. Jovan Landry brought over 50 Chicago artists to collaborate through music, video, photography, and graphic design, all male-dominated industries. By working collectively, Synergy furthers the point that women can co-exist in hip-hop, both in front and behind the scenes. With its release in March 2019, The Synergy Collective has hosted its first Hip-Hop Technique Workshop Series for young women, featured at WeWork Creator Awards Berlin, ABC7 Chicago's Windy City Live, The Fly Honey Show, and the Women in Hip-Hop Conference at St. Louis University.

Jovan Landry continues to develop herself personally and artistically through her work as a freelance artist in Chicago, currently flexing her music production skills. In July 2020, Jovan releases her debut instrumental EP "World Vibe," a dedication to the dance community, her hometown Chicago, and her travels to Nigeria, Haiti, and Cuba. Jovan Landry currently teaches Screen Dance and Sound Design at Columbia College Chicago.