“Artwithjolo is a creative platform, made for people with or without a formal art education or creative background, founded by an African artist whose work carries cultural stories from Africa and the Netherlands — the joyful and the difficult. Instead of paint and brushes, the artworks are built by hand from materials like beads, sand, stones, and clay, creating textured surfaces that invite touch, connection, and community. Here, people find joy, simplicity, and education, and discover their natural talent — both in making art and in looking at it.”
Trusted by organizations and companies who have experienced our workshops firsthand.
Bringing 
people
together
through texture,
creativity
and
touch
"Choose from over 100+ artworks and bring texture, character, and personality into your space. Not just to see, but to touch. Art rental allows the work to travel, meet new walls, and spark conversations, quietly slowing people down, making them smile, and inviting interactive curiosity, without long-term commitment."
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Behind the art: who is Jolo?
Monica Ntege is an artist from Uganda, now based in the Netherlands. Her art is tactile and colorful, in a style she calls Afro Pop Art.
Her work tells cultural stories — from Africa and from the Netherlands — blended with childhood fantasy. These stories aren't always light or joyful. Sometimes they're about beautiful memories and traditions, sometimes about harder experiences like exclusion or injustice. Both belong to real life, and both find a place in her art. This makes her work appealing to both young and old: children enjoy the playful, colorful figures, while adults recognize the different layers underneath.
Monica works with unusual materials: beads, sand, stones, and clay. These materials don't feel like a stylistic choice to her — they feel familiar, tied to her roots and how she grew up. In Uganda, for example, beads were never purely decorative: they were worn by kings and chiefs and carried real meaning around power, status, and identity. Sand and stone aren't "just dirt" to her either — they're materials with a direct, sensory connection to the place she's from.
In the Western art world, materials like these are often filed under "craft" or "decoration" rather than art — a classification that comes from a different time and a different perspective. Monica uses these materials deliberately, in work that is taken seriously, showing that value in art isn't only about what's expensive or traditional — it can also be about what's meaningful.
She draws inspiration from many different artists — Picasso's work, for example, reminds her strongly of African art. Monica is an active member of an artists' organization and regularly visits exhibitions; being surrounded by art constantly inspires her. Alongside her original pieces, she also creates her own interpretations of existing artworks.
For Monica, art is more than just making something beautiful. It's a way to tell the full story — the beautiful and the difficult — using materials that already carry their own history and meaning.
Reviews
What people share about Art with Jolo:
"I had seen some of your work on your website, but I am glad to have had the opportunity to visit your gallery. Wonderful to see the 3D art, to touch it and enjoy the diversity of materials that you dare to use. So many pieces make a strong statement. Good “icebreakers” for an awkward setting I would think. Very interesting to hear some of the stories behind your work, thanks for sharing! I am inspired and the workshop is scheduled!"
Caroline Castle
"Hallo Monica,Ik heb je werk mogen bewonderen tijdens “Proef de Kunst” in Terherne. Wat maak jij een bijzondere, kleurrijke en mooie werken. Met vriendelijke groet,Marco"
Marco van kleef
"Je maakt mooie kunst! Niet alleen voor de ogen maar ook voor de handen. Je bent super creatief!"
Does
"Great workshop with well-defined concept and goals. Location with loads of space and good lighting. Ample introduction, demonstration, breaks ( with delicious bites) and materials (paint, brushes etc…). Superb team building event."
Solomon King Anywar
"I had seen some of your work on your website, but I am glad to have had the opportunity to visit your gallery. Wonderful to see the 3D art, to touch it and enjoy the diversity of materials that you dare to use. So many pieces make a strong statement. Good “icebreakers” for an awkward setting I would think. Very interesting to hear some of the stories behind your work, thanks for sharing! I am inspired and the workshop is scheduled!"
Caroline Castle
"Hallo Monica,Ik heb je werk mogen bewonderen tijdens “Proef de Kunst” in Terherne. Wat maak jij een bijzondere, kleurrijke en mooie werken. Met vriendelijke groet,Marco"
Marco van kleef
Frequently asked questions
I am based in the Netherlands. I Create and do all administration in my tiny home studio from which I take the art works to the gallery. The gallery is located inside the best kickboxing school in Leeuwarden. Energym 058, I normally rent out space at SMOEL KUNSTWERPLAATS but am flexible and can give workshops at any location provided.
Most of my artworks are not created to be owned privately. They are made to be experienced, shared, and interacted with because they invite touch and exploration, Instead of selling the works, I focus on exhibitions, workshops, and art rental, so that the artwork can continue to reach and engage different audiences.
Keep an eye on my social media channels and website for updates on upcoming workshops, exhibitions, and events. I regularly post about new opportunities to experience the art and get involved in creative activities.
Most traditional art is created with paint and brushes and is meant to be viewed from a distance. My artworks are made without paint and without brushes. Instead, they are built using textures, materials, and everyday objects. Each piece is constructed layer by layer, allowing the materials themselves to form the image and the story. That way the art is more engaging and accessible, especially for people who experience the world through touch. For me, art is not only something to observe — it is something to feel, explore, and connect with.
Yes. Even though the artworks are made from many small objects and materials, they are carefully constructed and built to last. Over the years I have developed techniques to securely glue each piece into place. The materials are attached using a strong adhesive process, including specially prepared glues.After the textures are built, the artwork receives a protective layer that helps keep the surface strong and stable and prevents the materials from changing color over time.Once the materials are set, they remain firmly in place. In many ways the surface becomes solid and stable, almost like a sculpted surface.
My artwork combines personal imagination, cultural inspiration, and textured reinterpretation. Some pieces are fully original, while others are inspired by shared imagery, African visual traditions, or digital references that I transform through my own tactile style, materials, and storytelling.
Let's create magic together!
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