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Serendipitous Transplant: Mykel embarks on first show as Wilmington resident By: Sarah Richter Above: The Holy Ganges, 21 x 26 inches. Courtesy photo 10 encore | august 28 - september 3, 2013| www.encorepub.com
he idea of destiny, serendipity, fate or luck may sometimes feel like nothing more than the idealized fantasy of a Disney film. In many ways, there come moments in our lives when things do fall into place, and an entire life of success, failure, tragedy and joy become vindicated in a succession of movements which feel destined. Many people think the universe magically will align itself; their number will come up and the life they’ve always wanted just happens, but life is not so simple. Two great icons in literary history have noted a self-motivation propels us forward. Shakespeare said, “It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.” John Lennon stated, “There’s nowhere you can be that isn’t where you’re meant to be.” This idea of creating our own lives embodies the work and story of recent transplant Mykel. An abstract artist by way of San Francisco, Mykel’s journey began in Georgia. “Growing up there, I was a very hyper-active kid, so my parents enrolled me in a local art class,” he tells. “I ended up having an excellent mentor who really fostered a love of art in me and pushed me to create more.” During his classes, Mykel found a sense of calm and peace. The kid who was full of energy stopped to take a moment and reflect. “One day my teacher gave me a piece of rice paper, which has a different texture than regular paper,” he explains. “Not knowing what to draw, he also gave me a photograph of a city skyline which I started to paint. I quickly got frustrated, and, unhappy with what I had created, I crumpled the paper and threw it away.” His teacher fished out the paper from the bin, due to its expensive quality. He then taught Mykel how to make windows, and insisted the student finish his work. So impressed with the final piece—despite Mykel’s displeasure of it—the teacher framed it and entered it into a county art show. The youngest contestant at only 8-years-old won; it ignited Mykel’s artistic passion even further. Returning to study art in college, Mykel found passion in another palette: the restaurant biz. Though working and owning an eatery in Georgia, Mykel eventually found himself across the states, uprooted from his Southern lineage. He bounced around restaurants in the Bay area, and didn’t devote a lot of time to his art. Af-