MÓYÒSÓRÉ MARTINS
Móyòsóré Martins exhalts the tradition of the Abstract Expressionist painters—the beginning. Figurative and conceptualist elements then take the stage. Hatching, hard-handed distress brings the work together in harmony and depth—Móyòsóré’s own total.
— Asher Edelman Móyòsóré Martins and Asher Edelman Harlem, NY 2020
Móyòsóré Martins Bronx, NY Studio, 2021
MÓYÒSÓRÉ MARTINS (NIGERIAN, B. 1986)
Móyòsóré Martins is a self-taught mixed-media artist. Raised in Lagos, Nigeria by a Brazilian father and a Nigerian mother from Ekiti state, Martins adopted a paintbrush and pencil at a young age as instruments to express his innately curious and spiritual nature. Through his work, Martins blends his traditional Yoruba cultural roots with his contemporary vision of art.
Martins’s artwork combines figurative, abstract, and narrative elements drawn from his unique life experience and journey from Nigeria to his large Bronx studio. His work is deeply symbolic and frequently features cultural and personal iconography. Martins’s richly textured paintings feature bold brushstrokes, thick oil paint, drawings, scribbles, collaged materials, and text. The vibrant, heavily layered canvases are interspersed with spiritual elements and wishes manifested and fulfilled. Martins also works in three-dimensional form with clay sculpture. As Martins describes:
My artwork is intentionally raw. I like to use a lot of different materials and have rough-cut edges on the canvas. The paintings are textured with scratches, scribbles, and mud-like paint, as well as clay, liquid plastic, oil sticks, chunky layers of oil paint. I layer the background and then deconstruct them, which gives the feeling of wear and tear on the canvas. No painting is alike as each has symbolic patterns and encrypted messages hidden within it. I want to merge the vision with the given and the new world that I live in now. The word “Why?” is seen in a lot of the work because it leaves you asking the same question.
Forbidden by his father to create or study art, Martins spent his college years in Ghana and the Ivory Coast studying computer science. He immigrated to New York City in 2015 to further pursue his artistic ambitions. Martins’ artwork has been exhibited at the Nassau County Museum (Roslyn, NY), Path Gallery (Los Angeles, CA), TrafficArts (New York, NY), Dacia Gallery (New York, NY), Heath Gallery (New York, NY), Grady Alexis Gallery (New York, NY) and Long-Sharp Gallery (Indiannapolis, IN).
EXHIBITIONS
2022 Beverly Hills Art Exchange, Group Show | San Francisco, CA
2022 Art Miami, Long-Sharp Gallery
2022 Solo Exhibition: Long-Sharp Gallery | Indiannapolis, ID
2022 Butter | Indiannapolis, ID
2021 Nassau County Museum, Songs Without Words: The Art of Music | Roslyn, NY
2021 Path Gallery | Los Angeles, CA
2021 Long-Sharp Gallery/ Conrad Indianapolis, Featured Artist
2021 TrafficArts | New York, NY
2019 Dacia Gallery, Holiday Group Exhibition | New York, NY
2018 Heath Gallery | New York, NY
2017 Grady Alexis Gallery, Art United Presents: Radical Resistance to Xenophobia | New York, NY
PUBLICATIONS
https://www.traffic-nyc.com/artists/moyosore-martins www.longsharpgallery.com
Long-Sharp Gallery Virtual Exhibition
Visit Artsy
Instagram: @moysoremartins1910
Moyosore Martins bridges abstract, figurative, and iconographic symbolism. He expresses the beauty in the figure and the depth of its subject; he obsesses with a cartoon-like character that imbues his personal iconography and that has a deep symbolic meaning. His approach is narrative and realistic in the early works, returning to his childhood memories. The African statue is increasingly present and spiritually meaningful in his work. He is fascinated with contemporary plastic toy statues and collectibles from artists like Kaws, representing everything different in juxtaposition to the traditional Yaruba figures. A seminal work, “Watchman,” resonates; the painting is a study of the Yaruba figure and is interpreted by Martins as the man taking on his destiny, with a nod to his experience while employed as a night watchman in the Bronx—a lasting impression.
Martins expresses the emotion of the characters he deftly paints, the backgrounds layered, manipulated, scratched, and then infused with text. He places himself in the canvas, in the artwork, both in spirit and name, even his birthdate. He scribbles words, mathematical formulas, mantras, and prayers. He visually expresses his internal conversation, which shifts as his world does—as a visual biography. He resists being put in a box. His unique use of materials and story is the cord that ties his work together.
Watchman
2018
Oil on canvas
60 X 48 in. (150 x 120 cm)
Alagbawo (The Caretaker)
2022
Oil, oil stick, pigment, and charcoal on canvas
72 x 48 in. (180 x 120 cm)
Pandemic 2020
Oil paint, oil stick, raw pigment, charcoal, oil pastels and gold leaf on canvas 85 x 105 in. (212.5 x 262.5 cm)
Lekki
2021
Oil, oil stick, charcoal on canvas
73 x 64 in. (182.5 x 160 cm)
Through My Very Own Eyes , 2021 Diptych: Oil, mixed media and collage on canvas 60 x 96 in. (150 x 240 cm)
The Tablet 2021
Collage, graphite, oil on canvas 4 paintings 48 x 38 in. (120 x 95 cm) each 96 x 76 in. (240 x 190 cm)
“I made this painting after my first solo exhibition in Los Angeles last fall (2021). I was exhausted and drained. I put all my emotion in this work. I had just gotten a new studio in the Bronx—the first time I had a real studio, so I had big expectations. Then nothing came. My brain was fuzzy and out of focus. Coffee didn’t help. I fasted for a few days, cut out alcohol to get deeper clarity. I was having a total artist block. It was the first time ever and I had to work through it.
In this painting I worked primarily with layers of oil paint, pigments and charcoal on canvas.
I use a lot of personal iconography, symbols and messages in my work. For me, the eyes and the eyeballs are symbolic that my work is being seen. The figure in the middle is me— with a sense of clarity. The mouth behind the face is people talking about me.” — Moyosore Martins
Artist Block
2022
Oil, oil stick, acrylic, and charcoal on canvas
70 x 70 in. (175 x 175 cm)
Detail from Artist Block 2022
“This painting represents a “blissful realization.” The inspiration behind it is when one is wanting so many things and trying to choose which is the most important, kind of like an obsession of “want.” Putting too much effort on one thing—this is an evocation of the bliss when all the pieces come together. Finally, when all the things you are working for all come together— and this is “As it Should Be. The piece also expresses the joyful explosive freedom in that moment. And, celebrating the universal power of women around me.” —MM
As It Should Be 2022
Oil, oil stick, pigment, and charcoal on canvas
A polyptych 48 x 60 in. (120 x 150 cm)
Total: 96 x 120 in. (240 x 300 cm)
“This painting represents the feeling of craving and being obsessed. Obsessed with making ends meet. The ability to make my dreams a reality—and then still craving more.”
“In the painting, I’m more prominent in size than the little man. At any state you get to, there’s always someone bigger or trying to be better. It teaches you to be humble. The spaceship is a contemplation of what’s beyond the current life. The house is my self-conscience. Burning, growing out of my comfort zone, hunger, anger, not comfortable, can’t sleep in the burning house. Yearning for life more than what it is.”
—Moyosore MartinsBeyond Here
2019
Crumble
2022
Oil, oil stick, pigment, and charcoal on canvas
42 x 145 in. (180 x 162 cm)
“I made this painting when I returned to NY from my exhibition in Los Angeles. I had just gotten a new studio in the Bronx. I left all of my African artifacts at the exhibit in LA, which are my protection, my grounding. I felt like I was stripped away. The painting reflects my inner frustration, my feeling of emptiness, and then a creative block. I was feeling a bit depressed. I was processing and coming to terms with myself— that I wasn’t feeling in control. The not knowing, and, that trust is a dangerous thing. How relationships are bigger than currency. The man in the middle of the painting is like my subconscious— I’m constantly asking God for help, for money, and forgiveness. I always say thank you for the things I don’t even have. This is me coming out of my comfort-zone—leaving my house and going to the studio and getting back in control again. I needed to go through the process.” —MM
Detail of Crumble 2022
“This painting is about me seeing the world around me. About me opening my eyes. I always say- see the world around you and tell me who you are. This painting was inspired by an experience I had in LA where I realized there was no limit to the dream. It changed how I viewed myself.” —Moyosore Martins
See the World Around You
2022
Oil, oil stick, acrylic, pigment, wax and charcoal on canvas
78 x 60 in. (195 x 150 cm)
“Gbe Mi, means “carry me” in Yoruba. This is a study of a classic Yoruba artifact, a subject that I use extensively in my paintings. This artifact has a female with a head tie or hat on with pointy breasts sitting down with a pot in hand and a child on her back. Illustrated with exaggerated strokes, which I used to create a feeling of dimensionality.
I used simple colors contrasting the artifact in red and the background in blue. The colors have spiritual meaning to me. I wanted the imagination to drift to various places and shapes with my brush strokes and with patterns and messages. The power of the object is in its simplicity.”
—Moyosore MartinsGbe Mi
2019
Oil on canvas
60 x 45 in. (150 x 112.5 cm)
Frequency 2022
Oil, oil stick, pigments, acrylic and charcoal on canvas
72 x 60 in. (180 x 150 cm)
“Seeing is believing” is a about accountability and understanding who I am as an artist. It’s also about growing to know the power and the ability that I possess that makes me more vulnerable to my calling.” —Moyosore Martins
Seeing is Believing 2022
Oil, oil stick, pigments, and charcoal on canvas
72 x 55 in. (unstretched)
“This painting is about the different parts of my journey, my growth, the obstacles, the pitfalls, as well as the exposure, and the lessons and understanding of one’s worth. When you sit and think about it. You’re the only one who can evaluate yourself and stay true to yourself. What you see in the mirror is what you truly are but at the same time what you see in the mirror could be merely something that you think you are. Both can be very heavy sometimes.”
—Moyosore Martins
What If?
2022
Oil, oil stick, pigments, and charcoal on canvas
A Polyptych 48 x 60 in. (120 x 150 cm)
Total size 96 x 120 in.(240 x 300 cm)
“This painting is about embracing change and discomfort and knowing there is no going back; it is the commitment to the way forward. When you view the painting, you see the interlocking progressional chain. Being an artist comes with self-doubt, such as when trying to embrace new techniques and new influences. Everything comes with a little bit of struggle and doubt. When you learn that life is all about propelling forward, you will always be happy when a new change comes your way. You have to try to push aside the doubts that come in between. It’s also about the opportunities, like “what if” I did this, or this or that happened. “What If?”
I’ve been asked why they have their eyes are downcast. For me, they don’t need to use their eyes because they see with their minds, their thoughts, and their premonitions. It’s about “all-seeing” in a spiritual way.”
—Moyosore Martins2022
Painting in progress
Bronx Studio, New York
“Adura” is a painting about Martins’ thoughts on the contrast between spirituality and religion, organized religion versus individual practice. Each relates to the process of developing beliefs around the meaning of life and connection. The word “Adura,” which means prayer as a form of self-healing. This piece signifies one’s thinking outside of the metrics and understanding that some rules are created to place us contained. This confinement is man-made and at times hinders us so much that we lose sight of the beauty and vast knowledge of the universe.
Martins grew up exposed to many different religions, inspiring his work in various ways. The women in the painting are from a religious sect called the “Celestial Group.” The cat represents life and greed, while the figure in the middle is Martins’ subconscious. The watchman ties everyone to the painting, it is him, but it could be you. The watchman is a symbol that shows up in much of Martins’ artwork.
ADURA
2022
Oil, oil stick, pigments, and charcoal on canvas
36 x 72 in. (90 x 180 cm) each
72 x 72 in. (180 x 180 cm) total
“If I don’t create, I am not my best self. It’s a way to tame who I am.”
Untitled (Girl With Flower) 2021 Oil on Canvas 50 X 38 in. (125 x 95 cm)
Left page: Study for Attestation (Vouch) 2022
Oil, oil stick, pigment, charcoal, and collage on canvas 72 x 60 in. (180 x 150 cm)
As in many of Moyosore Martins’ artwork, this painting expresses his internal conversation and what he is experiencing at that moment. As his career expands, his artwork and craft are growing, and he is receiving increasing attention for his work. He looks back, reflecting on his path and where he has come from, both as a person and artistically. Entrenched with personal symbolism, every element of each painting has a purpose and a specific meaning to him, much like a morse code. The multiple eyes are symbolic of his own spiritual “all-seeing”; the eyeballs to the left of painting represents all eyes on him, being “seen,” his work being seen. The mouth, large and slightly aggressive, represents the intensity of the experience of people talking about him. The etched words are like a mantra to manifest his vision.
Expansion VI 2022
Oil, oil stick, pigments, and charcoal on canvas 72 x 95 in. (180 x 240 cm)
VII, 2023 Oil, oil stick, pigment, and charcoal on canvas mounted on board 14 x 18 in. (35 x 45 cm)
