Móyòsóré 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 hi
