Jwan Yosef is a Swedish painter and artist who specializes in plastic arts – art forms that involve the physical manipulation of a plastic medium by molding/modeling. Materials for use in the plastic arts include those that can be carved or shaped, such as stone, wood, concrete, glass, or metal. Jwan is a founding member and studio holder at The Bomb Factory Art Foundation, a London-based artist-led foundation with exhibition space for contemporary art.
Born Name
Jwan Yosef
Nick Name
Jwan
Jwan Yosef as seen in an Instagram Post in July 2023 (Jwan Yosef / Instagram)
Sun Sign
Virgo
Born Place
Ras al-Ayn, Al-Hasakah, Syria
Residence
London, England, United Kingdom
Nationality
Education
Jwan, after his high school graduation, joined the Pernby School of Painting in Stockholm, the capital and largest city of Sweden. He studied there between 2004 and 2006.
He later attended the Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts, and Design, a ‘university college’ (in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland, the term refers to an independent institution that provides tertiary (bachelor’s and master’s degrees) and/or quaternary (Ph. D.) education) – also located in Stockholm.
Occupation
Painter, Artist
Jwan Yosef as seen in an Instagram Post in April 2023 (Jwan Yosef / Instagram)
Family
Father – Ahmad Yosef
Mother – Hiba Hammoud
Others – Enrique Martín Negroni (Ex-Father-in-Law) (Former Psychologist), Doña Nereida Morales, (Ex-Mother-in-Law) (Former Accountant), Fernando Fernández (Ex-Half-Brother-in-Law), Ángel Fernández (Ex-Half-Brother-in-Law), Eric Martín (Ex-Half-Brother-in-Law), Daniel Martín (Ex-Half-Brother-in-Law), Vanessa Martín (Ex-Half-Sister-in-Law)
Build
Athletic
Height
5 ft 11 in or 180.5 cm
Weight
78 kg or 172 lbs
Jwan Yosef as seen in an Instagram Post in December 2021 (Jwan Yosef / Instagram)
Boyfriend / Spouse
Jwan has dated –
Ricky Martin (2016-2023) – Jwan first met renowned Puerto Rican singer, songwriter, actor, author, record producer, and humanitarian Ricky Martin via Instagram. Ricky had found out about his work and sent a message of appreciation. They interacted on social media for around 6 months before Ricky went to London to meet Jwan. He publicly announced his relationship with Ricky in April 2016 – during an event hosted by amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research (an international nonprofit organization dedicated to the support of AIDS research, HIV prevention, treatment education, and the advocacy of AIDS-related public policy) in São Paulo, Brazil. The pair got engaged in November 2016 and they got married in 2017. On December 31, 2018, Jwan and Ricky announced the birth of their daughter – Lucía Martin-Yosef. On October 29, 2019, they announced the birth of their son – Renn Martin-Yosef. The couple parted ways in July 2023.
Race / Ethnicity
White
He is of Kurdish descent on his father’s side and Armenian descent on his mother’s side.
Hair Color
Black
Eye Color
Light Brown
Sexual Orientation
Gay
Distinctive Features
Toned physique
Ever-changing hairstyle
Sports a light stubble
Jwan Yosef as seen in an Instagram Post in April 2022 (Jwan Yosef / Instagram)
Jwan Yosef Facts
Born in Syria, Jwan immigrated to Sweden with his family when he was about 2 years old.
In the mid and late 2000s, he started out by participating in numerous art fairs and group exhibitions. He earned his big break in 2013 when he held 2 solo exhibitions – titled Painting about S*x, Flesh, and Violence, lol (at the DIVUS Gallery in London) and High Notes (at the Galleri Anna Thulin in Stockholm).
The same year, Jwan also participated in the Threadneedle Prize exhibition – a major art prize that showcases contemporary figurative art. Launched in 2008, the prize is open to any artist, aged 18 years or above, who is living/working in the United Kingdom or continental Europe.
In 2015, his work was exhibited at the Galleri Bon in Stockholm – in a group exhibition with some graduates of the Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts, and Design, his alma mater.
