Will.I.Am is an artwork from a series of paintings JMe created in the mid-1980s. These works were inspired by the groundbreaking scientific discoveries made during that time, particularly in quantum physics. During this period, complex and mysterious predictions were being revealed in books such as Dancing Wu Li Masters (1979) by Gary Zukav, Quantum Reality (1985) by Nick Herbert, and New York Times articles. These strange and sometimes fantastic speculations were described with surprisingly simple and endearing terminology: Quarks, Charm, Qubit, Strange. These discoveries included concepts like quantum mechanics, cold fusion, and magnetic resonance, which were at the forefront of scientific exploration and media coverage.

I was fascinated by these intricate scientific principles were communicated through accessible language. These abstract concepts deserved a visual representation. Thus, I began personifying these “cute” and enigmatic scientific phenomena through my art, giving them faces and personas. My work aimed to simplify these complex themes into anthropomorphic characters, bridging the esoteric nature of advanced science and the approachable world of artistic expression.