MÓYÒSÓRÈ Martins Talks with Pattern Magazine!

MÓYÒSÓRÈ MARTINS. MIXED MEDIA ARTIST. COLLECTOR. OLD SOUL.

INTERVIEW & PORTRAIT BY POLINA OSHEROV
ART IMAGES COURTESY OF ARTIST

The first time I laid my eyes on a Móyòsórè Martins original piece of art was at the BUTTER Fine Art Fair. I snuck in through the back of the new Stutz car museum space to see first-hand how the installation was coming along. I turned the corner, and was immediately transfixed by the sight of an art piece still wrapped in clear plastic, leaning on one of the movable art walls. It was a vibrant abstract with blues, yellow, greens, and reds that demanded to be looked at. Even though I couldn’t make out the details through the plastic, there was something about the mix of colors, shapes, and scribbles that spoke to me. “I love that!” I said out loud to no one in particular.

I was in a rush, and didn’t take the time to find out the artist behind the art, frankly not giving the painting any more thought. That is until I received an email reminder of a new show opening at one of my favorite contemporary art galleries in the whole country – the Long-Sharp Gallery Opening tonight at Long-Sharp Gallery: Móyòsórè Martins - Seen, the title of the email read. I opened the email to find out which incredible artist gallery owner Rhonda Long-Sharp and her daughter Nicole were bringing to Indy this time, and what did my incredulous eyes see, but a photo of the very painting leaning on the wall back at the Stutz. Not only that, but it suddenly dawned on me that this Móyòsórè was none other than the Nigerian-born, NYC-based artist Moyo whom we had already planned on interviewing for the magazine. I had planned on assigning another writer to chat with Moyo, but at that moment decided that I had to meet the man myself.

POLINA OSHEROV: Welcome to Indianapolis! How are you enjoying your visit, and the response to your work?

MÓYÒSÓRÈ MARTINS: It’s overwhelming. There’s a sense of fulfillment that comes with people understanding what you do and seeing them relate to what you create. I think that fills a hole, but I’m not really an in-front person. I’m very laid back. I don’t go out, no parties, none of those things. I love being around my family and that’s about it, but this whole being the “celebrity” in the room thing still feels surreal every time and I don’t take anything for granted. So grateful.

PO: I know I’m not the first to notice, but people of Nigerian descent seem like a very special group. I know so many successful Nigerian fashion designers, real estate developers, startup founders, attorneys, writers. Why do you think that is?

MM: I appreciate you noticing that. Nigeria as a country has been through a lot and when you’ve been through a lot, that experience shapes you and gives you an edge and that edge can translate into having a drive. I think Nigerians are naturally goal-obsessed people because of their background and history. Life in Nigeria is not easy or simple. Growing up there, then moving to a country like America, provided me with a sense of freedom. I can’tspeak for everybody, but the few people I know, including myself, we’ve really been through a lot of difficult things. Being here makes us want to push through.

PO: One thing I know about Nigeria is that becoming an artist, or having a career as a creative, is frowned upon. Yet here you are. How did that come about? 

MM: I’ve been painting since I was a little boy–crayons, pencils, illustrations, and drawing on my friends’ books in class. I’d get in trouble doing that because I went to a school that was heavily focused on sciences from the age of three. Physics, chemistry, math–I was expected to learn all of it,
but it just wasn’t for me. Plus all my friends were in arts classes, so I’d just go play with them, draw with their pens, but then I couldn’t even take the sketches home because I’d get in trouble. Still, I never stopped drawing and doodling. It wasn’t until I got to America that I started painting on canvases. I finally had my first taste of creative freedom to explore and do whatever I wanted to do without any setbacks, objections, or other people’s opinions on what I should do with my life.

“I TEND TO SEE COLORS
AND THINGS VIVIDLY.
I’VE ALWAYS GRAVITATED
TO COLOR, AND I LOVE
HOW COLOR CAN SPARK CONVERSATIONS AND EVOKE EMOTIONS.”

Artist Block, 2022, oil, oil stick, acrylic, and charcoal on canvas

What if? (Polyptych), 2022, oil, oil stick, pigments, and charcoal on canvas

PO: Being free to be yourself. Is that part of the reason why you left Nigeria?

MM: Yes. The environment wasn’t working for me anymore. I wanted more. I wanted to do more. I wanted to grow, but the soil wasn’t fertile. It was like trying to grow pineapples in a place that can’t grow pineapples. I wasn’t fitting in. It’s like my life was on a repeat loop, yet I knew it could be different, better. I could be better. Even though I had a comfortable life in Nigeria–freedom, friends, a beautiful, tropical paradise with good food, and good fashion–I was stuck, I wasn’t growing, and I knew it.

PO: It takes a lot of courage to leave your homeland for a completely different continent. What was that like?


MM: My mom brought me here

.
PO: Shout out to mom!

MM: Yes. My mom knew. She saw how unfulfilled I was. She could tell that I needed and wanted growth, but couldn’t accomplish it there. I was very naïve, very wayward. Actually, I was the black sheep of the family with tattoos, dreadlocks, and my views were way different from the rest of my family.

PO: Coming to America when you were twenty-nine must have been quite a culture shock. How did you handle it?

MM: Honestly, I didn’t like it at first. It was hard. I’ve beenaround for a minute now, but I still speak differently.Imagine when I first arrived, people were like, “You’re not from here.” Not at all, like even people that look like me. Also, there was this feeling of: why did it take twenty-nine years to come here? The culture, the quality of life, the opportunities here are like nowhere else. I wasted so much time. Early on, I had some tough moments. I was working back to-back shifts as a security guard, getting off at 4 a.m., and it was lonely. I came here with two pairs of shoes, two jeans, two shirts, and a backpack. That’s it. It was cold here, and I couldn’t afford a jacket or a good pair of boots. I wanted to go home, but when I called my mom and told her I wanted to come back to Nigeria she told me if I did that’d be it for me. That conversation was everything. It was an eye opener and I had to man up and stay.

PO: Your art is filled with personal references, almost like a visual diary. Good times, bad times, depression, exhaustion, obsession, joy. You are essentially in every painting, either figuratively, or hiding in plain sight. There’s a rawness to the work. It’s like you’re wearing your heart on your sleeve. How do audiences respond to this type of vulnerability?

MM: I’m not really sure. People take away what they take away. I did overhear these two women talking about my work one day. I was standing right behind them and they either did not see me, or just didn’t know who I was but one of the ladies was talking about my work to the other lady as if she knew me, so I just stuck around to listen...

PO: You were eavesdropping!

MM: Yeah. [Laughs] And at the end of the conversation, the one lady was like, “This artist is probably pretty old,” and I had to step in and tell her it was my work. She didn’t want to believe me. [Laughs]

PO: You’re an old soul, then!

MM: I think so! My dad was older when he had me, and I grew up around my mom and my grandparents. My dad was also a collector, loved mid-century modern furniture, and artifacts so aesthetically I’m pretty stuck in that era.

PO: Tell me about your use of color, it’s so vibrant.

MM: I tend to see colors and things vividly. I’ve always gravitated to color, and I love how color can spark conversations and evoke emotions. I developed my own technique of composing and manipulating the colors and making them work together. There’s a way you can wear colors or make vivid colors appear very, very calm. Also, I like to paint in very low light, almost in the dark actually. So in my studio, I probably have about twenty different lamps that create spots of light, and I paint just using those lamps.

PO: Sounds like you have quite a lamp collection.

MM: Yes! I collect all these different antique and vintage lamps from around the world and they all have different hues to them. The hues help with how I see color.


PO: How does growing up in another part of the world impact your aesthetic?

MM: I think my aesthetic transcends geography, yet all my pieces contain Nigeria because that’s where I’m from. At the same time, all of my pieces are relatable because there’s no box, no label, and no specific geographic placement.

See the World Around You, 2022,
oil, oil stick, acrylic, pigment, pigmented wax

PO: Are you still the black sheep or have you vindicated yourself?

MM: I’m not sure. I come from a very, very big family. I haven’t seen many of them in a very long time, and most of them still see me as the “old” me. They haven’t seen the growth. But being away from the negativity of being seen as the black sheep has been good for me.

PO: One of your pieces is being shown in BUTTER. What are your thoughts on participating in what might be the country’s  only fine art fair for Black and Brown artists?

MM: It’s a privilege. It’s amazing. I’m very grateful and excited to see all the other artists, network, and see what they have going on. And for them to see my work.

PO: What’s next for you?

MM: I can’t answer that because I’m just getting started. I think being successful is a progression. It took me a long time to get here, but nothing happens by mistake. I was in America almost six years before I started painting full-time and you know what that means? A lot of depressed nights and doing something every day without knowing what’s going to come from it. You need to be a very stubborn person to stick to your plan. I didn’t speak to my mom for two years because she didn’t respect me as an artist. She told me to go get another job. Everybody I knew backed away from me, but I had a clear vision and didn’t stop. So, I’m just going to keep painting, and staying in my zone and we’ll see what happens. ✂