The Impossible Network

025: The Art of Self Discovery : Shantell Martin

Jun 5, 2019

01:10:37

Guest overview

She graduated from St Martin’s in London, spent five years developing her unique freestyle artistic expression in Tokyo, before moving to New York to further her ambitious and expansive artistic exploration of identity and the self, welcome this weeks’ guest live visual artist Shantell Martin

In this episode we discuss the impact of her upbringing in a racially fueled district of London, how her self-belief, unique perspective, unerring curiosity and persistence propelled along an ever evolving, non-conformist artistic career path.

We discuss the impact of serendipity and how her characteristic live and spontaneous black-and-white compositions form the basis of an exploration into identity and the self based on two philosophical questions of “Who are you? Are you you?”

With clarity and candor Shantell talks about her curiosity fuels her and provides insight into her creative process and some of her many collaborations including Kendrick Lamar and The New York City Ballet.

I hope you enjoy this freestyle episode of truth-telling and truth-seeking with Shantell Martin.

What we discuss

An upbringing in a mixed-race household

The influence of cartoons on her artistic ambition

Shantell's dual love of running and art

The barriers and hurdles she faced

Overcoming social norms to carve her own path

Her passion and desire

Confronting her art teacher's doubt

Power of head to hand in art and writing

The first experience of live art in Japan

How she guides her students