10 Questions with Messiah Brown

Messiah Brown is a Brooklyn-based multidisciplinary artist who embodies a vibrant and creative spirit that shines through in his work and personality. Despite no longer being in school, he continues to hone his artistic skills daily, drawing inspiration from everyday life and the connections he makes. He views life as an unfinished canvas, embracing its wonders and uncertainties. This young talent possesses remarkable wisdom, recognizing the artistic journey as a path of growth, self-discovery, and perseverance. With a passion for evolution and a willingness to face challenges, Messiah Brown is blossoming into a unique voice in the art world.

@messiahart

ARTIST STATEMENT

Messiah Brown's work is rooted in storytelling, exploration, reflection, and transformation. As a visual artist from New York City, he sees each piece as a dialogue between material, depth, and the intangible. Messiah uses vibrant colors, layered textures, and dynamic compositions to reflect the complexities of identity, culture, and the human spiritual experience.

Art for Messiah is a way to bridge gaps between the past, the present, and glimpses of the future, the self and the collective, the real and the imagined. He aims to create immersive experiences that not only provoke thought but also invite connections, offering viewers a space to see their own stories reflected in his works.

Through experimentation and intention, Messiah continues to challenge boundaries and explore the limitless possibilities of creativity.

INTERVIEW

First of all, introduce yourself to our readers. Could you tell us a little more about your background and yourjourney to become an artist?

My name is Messiah Brown. I am a multidisciplinary visual artist with primary practices in oil paint & mixed media. I'm from Brooklyn, NY, where I currently reside. I am of Afro-Latino heritage, and I come from a small but incredibly supportive family that has championed my artistic journey from the very beginning. My aunt bought me my first artist kit with multiple mediums in one art briefcase for Christmas when I was seven. I loved that kit! I colored with those oil pastels til they were nubs. She'd always gift me with different tools for Christmas one time, I got a Spiderman digi-draw that was a little tricky to work with at first, but once I got the hang of it, using it helped me draw better you literally traced the outline of the characters from the reflection of the light, almost like how Joseph Raffael, Tom Lynch & Carolyne Brady uses projector equipment when creating their works. My mother would motivate me to keep going when my creative flow wasn't fluid. Looking back, I realized that talent isn't enough; it takes discipline and consistency to truly grow as an artist; maturity taught me this. My father was a talented sketch artist himself. We'd draw these fantastical comics and cartoon ideas I'd come up with, and he'd sketch while I mostly wrote the stories to the images. We never fully realized those projects, but those shared moments were precious and formative. It was through these experiences that I discovered my passion for art, and I'm grateful for the early support and guidance I received from my loved ones, which helped me find my path.

How would you define yourself as an artist today? And what is your ultimate aim as an artist? 

I'd say I am a process-driven, emotionally resonant explorer of identity and experiences. My work delves into the complexities of self-discovery and less into the final product, leading more towards the journey of creation itself. I am fascinated by the experiences, both positive and negative, and how the impact of these experiences shapes the human. I strive to create pieces that invite art lovers to connect with me without biased perspectives. I wish for them to recognize the potential for growth and change within themselves, the world, and me as the artist. 
My ultimate goal as an artist is to never let life hardships or bad relations take the inner light within me. That light is what helps guide my way through dark times and see beauty in ugly moments, helping me facilitate connections and inspired transformation. I want my art to be a bridge between my inner world and the viewers, sparking a dialogue about human shared experiences and fostering empathy. I believe art has the power to transcend boundaries. I hope my work can serve conversations about identity, belonging, and the unknowing, as well as the interconnectedness of our lives. Ultimately, I aim to create art that not only moves people emotionally but also inspires them to see the world and themselves in uncanny ways, developing a deeper understanding and appreciation for the rich diversity of human experiences. I want to leave a lasting impression with my work, prompting individuality and farsightedness and reminding everyone of the transformative power of human creativity. 

Your work emphasizes storytelling, exploration, and transformation. Can you tell us more about how these themes shape your creative process? 

It helps give me a direction to create some of my projects. I like to take negative moments in my life and create positive outlets for releasing that negativity. Why harbor something I don't need? I also just like creating a world different from the harsh times going on; it's not an escape, just a break. We need to remind ourselves that as artists, we can make things better with our creativity, stories, and existence. By focusing on these three elements, storytelling, exploration, and transformation, I am able to create a powerful and deeply personal body of work that resonates with others on a profound level. My art becomes not just a reflection of my inner world but a catalyst for change and growth, both for me and those who indulge in my work. 

You've mentioned that life is an unfinished canvas. How does this perspective influence the way you approach each piece you create? 

Viewing life as an unfinished canvas allows me to approach my work with a sense of freedom, curiosity, and continuous growth. It's a reminder that I am always evolving and to keep creating and learning as I go. There's no right or wrong to being an artist; it's a mentality. With every stroke on a canvas, each new piece, each new day is a chance to begin again. There's no pressure to replicate past successes or be limited to past mistakes. It's a clean slate, full of potential. 

Vibrant colours and layered textures are key elements in your art. How do these visual choices help you express complex themes like identity, culture, and the human spiritual experience? 

When I first started my journey towards taking art seriously as a profession, I took time to study color theory and the understanding of psychology in colors and how major companies use certain colors to attract consumers. That knowledge helped me find unique approaches to how I decided to create pieces. I'm a calm, chill kind of person, however I can have a bold approach to things in life. That being said, my signature color choices of Blues and Reds sort of complement thechill, fiery personality I have within some of my pieces. Culturally speaking, I'm a mixed Black & Puerto Rican, so I've always been drawn to using color palettes close to home, of what I've grown up seeing or looking at in the mirror. My surroundings influence my creative approach subconsciously. I've always been naturally drawn into the supernatural and have a sort of hyper-sense of self-awareness with spirituality. So, colors also have a spiritual meaning. Colors can affect our emotions and our moods, as well as influence what attracts our eyes. I've used these concepts in my work. 

You describe your art as an immersive experience. What do you hope viewers feel or discover when they engage with your work?

I hope viewers can discover that sometimes their judgments are off. Too many projects instead of reflecting. I would love it if some just viewed art from a non-biased perspective, pushed their personal prejudices of who I am to the side, and actually looked at my talent! I believe that it is okay to be different in what you create. It's literally what makes your creations unique. I'd love it if people saw that in themselves, too. I understand my work isn't realistic looking; it's animated, often unusual to the eye, but that's parts of me I bring to the canvas. Unrealistic as my work may seem, my understanding of human emotions is very clear and realistic, so please don't confuse the two. Essentially, I want my art to spur self-reflection and open-mindedness. I am encouraging viewers to challenge their own biases, embrace individuality, and find a connection with art itself, regardless of their personal feelings about who I am personally. 

Experimentation seems to be at the heart of your practice. How do you stay motivated to continue developing your artistic skills, especially outside of a formal school setting? 

Honestly, I felt that school was rigid and limited to an artist like myself. Don't get me wrong, it helps with training you with techniques and skills you may not have knowledge of, however, I'm not a fit in the box kind of artist, and it took for me to go to school for art to see this about myself, and no matter how much I wanted to be a good student and I was dedicated to being great, I just couldn't find ME in the curriculums as my blue prints of experiments. I loved college more than all the other school levels because it helped me discover that and be okay with it too. I also found innovative ways of taking the lessons I learned and incorporating myself into them as well. Once I was out of school, a sense of liberty came upon my creations. I like that education gives us techniques to help us harness our talents, but that's all it does, everything else comes with your choice of discipline and your approach to seeking novelty in what you do. 

Your work invites connections between the real and the imagined. How do you navigate this space between reality and imagination in your creative process? 

Emotions! Emotions are always real, even if they aren't factual. Reality affects our emotions, and how we take in what we perceive is what we'll often imagine to create. Whether it be love, a life we want to live, or connections we falsely believe are good for us or ourselves. We can imagine anything because it's limitless, we're limitless. The part that we have to do is make it real. Now, life isn't as easy as a canvas or sculpting a piece, but if you can see it as so, you can imagine a life you wish to create and live in that reality. 

How do you hope your work impacts the viewer's personal journey or perspective?

I hope they can see beauty in its strangest ways and be open to the unusual. I hope my story can be relatable to people out there who get to know the artist I am and my journey to where I've come to. I aspire that they learn that imagination doesn't mean you're crazy; it's a sign of never letting the child in you vanish after adulthood. It's pure and innocent still within you. A light willing to guide you. A child inside all of us adults proud of who we have become ready to embrace the people we've grown into. The child in me never disappeared. He just matured early, and I had to learn faster, so I've protected that part of myself for a reason. 

Lastly, looking to the future, what are some directions or new projects you're excited to explore in your artistic practice?

I'm looking forward to this year's creative endeavors; I've been out of the loop of doing art exhibitions for a bit and wanted to take a personal rest, focusing on my physical health and well-being. While doing this, I was building new collections and creating concepts for different series, so I am hoping to continue flourishing in those series I began last year into this year and have them be seen by the world. I am also looking to collaborate with another artist as well; I'm not always in the mix of collaborating, so it'd be cool to open that door to see what I'll discover. I'll also be looking into curating as well, I've done it once but I'd like to give it another try and this time in a total new direction. I'm still building my portfolio endlessly, and that's never going to stop. I have been doing clay models so there are some sculpting projectscoming along soon too. I don't want to throw too much out there because being me, I'm spontaneous and change my mind easily, but new art is definitely coming very soon.

Artist’s Talk

Al-Tiba9 Interviews is a promotional platform for artists to articulate their vision and engage them with our diverse readership through a published art dialogue. The artists are interviewed by Mohamed Benhadj, the founder & curator of Al-Tiba9, to highlight their artistic careers and introduce them to the international contemporary art scene across our vast network of museums, galleries, art professionals, art dealers, collectors, and art lovers across the globe.