Djakarta (artist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Djakarta
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Djakarta Jacobs
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| Occupation | Actress, artist, comedian |
Djakarta Jacobs, known simply as Djakarta, is an American artist, comedian, and actress. She is sometimes confused with a character she created called "Deena Jacobs." This character has appeared on many TV shows and in online videos. These videos have been shared on popular websites like The Huffington Post and Perez Hilton.
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Early Life and Education
Djakarta was born on February 29, 1975, in Washington, D.C.. She grew up in the Columbia Heights neighborhood. Her father, Charles W. Jacobs, was a calligrapher. He ran an art gallery called Galerie Triangle with Djakarta's mother, Averille E Jacobs. Her brother, Charles W. Jacobs Jr., is an architectural designer and a teacher. Djakarta married actor Erin Noyd in May 2013.
As a child, Djakarta studied acting at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts. She later studied photography at Edith Cowan University in Australia. She then moved to the Corcoran College of Art and Design in D.C. In 2004, she earned a degree in photography. Her final project was chosen to be shown at the Conner Contemporary Arts Academy.
Career Highlights
In 2006, Djakarta worked at the National Archives gift shop. She was chosen to help introduce the new US $10 bill. While working there, she stayed involved in the art scene in D.C.
As a visual artist, Djakarta was part of an art group called District of Columbia Arts Center Sparkplug. She also helped organize art shows for the Washington Project for the Arts. She received two grants from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities to support her art.
Art Projects and Exhibitions
In 2004, Djakarta's video art featuring Halle Berry was shown in an exhibition. This show was held in the old Capital Children's Museum. In 2005, her multimedia artwork was displayed at the Transformer Gallery in D.C. This project used a pretend advertising campaign. It encouraged celebrities of mixed backgrounds to connect with the black community.
The art display included pictures of famous people like Vin Diesel, Mariah Carey, and Tiger Woods. It also had a video with clips from movies. As part of this project, Djakarta put up posters in public places. These posters looked like military recruitment ads and said "WE WANT YOU." They were placed above images of celebrities framed in red, green, and black colors.
Her photo series was shown in the 2006 Janus exhibit at the Maryland Art Place. In 2008, she was one of eleven artists featured in a show. This show was at the Arlington Arts Center and was called SHE'S SO ARTICULATE: Black Women Artists Reclaim the Narrative.
Moving to Los Angeles and Acting
Djakarta moved to Los Angeles in 2008 to become an actress. In 2009, she started her own production company called New American Divas. In 2010, she acted in a play called Downtown Curren(t)cy: Lives Looking for Change. That same year, she produced a play called I’m an Actor, They Don’t Get It. In 2011, she appeared in two short plays: Social Science and I Dream of Emmett Till.
The Deena Jacobs Character
In 2010, Djakarta started appearing on reality television as Deena Jacobs. This character was inspired by Sacha Baron Cohen's character Borat. Deena Jacobs became known for her strong opinions about pop culture figures. Djakarta posted videos of Deena's rants on her YouTube channel. Some of the people Deena talked about included Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, Rihanna, and Chris Brown. Deena Jacobs also appeared on various radio shows.
In 2011, Deena Jacobs was on the CW show H8R. She played a character who strongly disliked Kim Kardashian. This appearance made some people online wonder if Deena Jacobs was a real person or a character. In the same year, Deena Jacobs was a guest on an episode of Dr. Drew’s Lifechangers. This episode discussed the topic of dating between people of different backgrounds.
After seeing the "Deena Jacobs" videos, Tyler the Creator chose Djakarta for a role. She played a recurring character named Tabbey Tarnetta on the Adult Swim comedy show Loiter Squad.
