Today we’d like to introduce you to M. Mason
Hi M., so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I started out as a prelaw student, oddly enough. I had a passion for proving a point, but ultimately my ambitions tugged me in a different direction. Sometime around 2023, I decided to take myself seriously and put an honest effort into the artwork that I dreamed about, leading me to where I am today. It took a lot of experimenting and rejection, but I think I’ve found an art style that really speaks to my identity and the world I want to share with my audience.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I wouldn’t say it’s been a completely smooth road, I lived a lot of different lives before finally being brought back to art. I wanted to be a lawyer at one point, and dropped out at another. Worked in retail, worked in bottle service, I feel like I tried out so many things before I ultimately went back to what I used to spend all my time doing as a child: creating art. Art was just a hobby to me after a while, it didn’t seem like a feasible career path for me. But I somehow always found my way back to it, and I got tired of pretending it didn’t matter that much to me, because it did. In 2024, I challenged myself to take art seriously and apply to everything I came across. My goal was to be accepted into at least one art show, and so far I’ve been a part of four. While I definitely can’t say the journey here has been easy, I’d certainly say it’s worth it.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My artwork explores vulnerability and examines the relationship between the diary and the canvas. I let my words paint the skeleton for the artwork, and use my hands as opposed to paintbrushes and fabric instead of paint to bring my vision to life. By skipping paint brushes and using my hands, I hope to create a sense of vulnerability and intimacy between the canvas, my subconscious, and the audience. As a self-taught painter and sewer, I hope to explore my identity as a black person from the South using the resources around me and convey that hope and introspection to the world. I think my craftsmanship and creativity set me apart from others because I feel that every artist has their own unique fingerprint they leave on their work. I think my style is something that can’t be easily replicated by others, and I’m proud of it, my work speaks for itself.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
I have no clue honestly, I try to block out what’s going on industry-wise because I want to continue to make art solely based on my life experiences and where I come from. I don’t want to feel influenced by what the audience wants to see or what will advance me further, industry-wise. I’m pretty selfish when it comes to my art, in the sense that I’m only concerned about speaking on what pertains to me and what I feel moved to create around.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.canva.com/design/DAGSrBAsGQo/UyEXOgF4CRxWknVvEi8x-g/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/therisingpisces
- Other: http://instagram.com/therisinggemini
Image Credits
photographer: @brin.tage
Green painting : “Sue Ellen’s”, Textile on Canvas, 2024 16 x 20
Blue baby painting: “When the Party’s Over” , Textile on Canvas, 202 4 16 x 20
