This interview was curated by START Shows

Introduce yourself

As far as I see it, art makes the world go round. It keeps life interesting and easier to cope with.

How did you get your name?

I came up with the name myself. My artist page was unfortunately hacked back in 2021 so while in the process of starting fresh and creating a new Instagram page, I had to create a different name and I thought of this one.

How did you get into creating?

I was born to be an artist. What got me completely into creating was watching painter, Bob Ross every Sunday on channel PBS.

Where are you from?

I am from New York. Born and raised in uptown Manhattan.

How did growing up in your neighborhood/city affect you?

It affected me a lot. For a great amount of my life, I lived close to the Hudson River and whenever I was by the river and see the trees, I'd immediately feel inspired. Going to Met Museum also played a huge role in affecting me too.

What did you do to advance your skills/knowledge?

I went to Pratt Institute for college where I learned how to mainly paint plus learn other artistic skills. I took an art course in Harlem in 2016. Most of all, consistency along with soaking in great advice from other artists that I admire.

What does your current setup look like?

My setup is pretty simple. Just an easel and a chair. My supplies are all bunched up together right now because I moved but I plan to make it more organized in the future. In terms of supplies, I use Acrylic paint, Oil paint, Oil pastels, Colored pencils, regular pencils, and at times Pens. I like to use multiple Mediums. I don't like to just stick with only one.

Who inspires you?

There are three artists who really inspire me. The first one is Bob Ross mainly because he inspired my desire to create. The second one is Justin Wadlington who is known not just for his ability to create hyperrealistic paintings by using only Acrylic paint but he is also known for being partially blind, only seeing through one eye. His advice on patience with the creative process has helped me get better as an artist that does realism. I can say that he is definitely my top favorite artist of today's Era. Third, is artist, Kevin Wak Williams who is known for making black love-themed art which inspired me to create my own images of black love art.

What is your goal when you create?

My goal is to share how I feel on canvas and draw awareness to things that i feel need light. For example, I recently created a painting called, Society's View of A Man which is about shedding light on this false perception of male masculinity that society places on men, and I basically wanted to say through this painting that this perception is not right and needs to be unlearned.

Why do you create?

I create because I feel that is what I was placed on this earth for. It is my purpose. And most of all, I create art because it is very therapeutic and it makes me happy.

How has choosing your creative path affected your life?

My creative path has affected my life a lot in many ways. It has helped me get through some very trying times and difficult emotions. It has brought some great opportunities and allowed me to meet some great people.

Did you have to overcome any obstacles along the way?

Most definitely, as I said before, I have gone through some pretty trying times. One specifically was in 2019. I was deeply depressed. I won't go into full detail as to why I was depressed but I will say that it was the darkest depression that I've ever gone through but it made me value my gift even more because once I pushed myself to create again, it made some days easier to cope with. So once I overcame my depression, I looked at Art as a way of therapy for me.

What's your go-to song right now and why is it important to you?

I would say that would be, Count Me Out by Kendrick Lamar because he touches on mental health. And I related the song to my latest painting.

What is your dream as an artist and what steps are you taking to reach your dream?

My dream as an artist is to eventually in time become a successful artist. And I don't necessarily mean become one of celebrity status but make a good income off of my art that it could provide for my family. To start I now have a website where my original paintings and drawings can be purchased as well as prints. I also display my art at as many art events as much as possible.

What would you tell someone else with a dream?

Go after it. Never mind if someone else doesn't believe in your dream. The dream is yours so do whatever it takes to make it a reality.

Tell us about your most recent release

Well I currently have a website where my original art can be purchased as well as get prints in any form. Plus some merchandise with my art on it is available. Real cool.

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/malikjohnartist

Website: http://www.malikjohnartist.com

Photography credit: Master Harrattan

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