A lifelong artist turned entrepreneur that goes by the name of Mardea is using her art as a form of storytelling. She has recently returned to art from the study of science to launch her own brand of apparel. Her online store launched less than two weeks ago with a slice of pop culture art that does not overturn the ancient stones.
She comments, "I am looking forward to the rewards of having this work become a steady norm of our culture and will always be elated to see the expressions of a new generation of folks who want to celebrate life and celebrate the beauty of our people."
Though not a photographer, Mardea was inspired by an image she had captured on film for a thesis project while in art school and decided to use just a regular Samsung camera to tell the story. The camera is utilized as a paintbrush to capture the beginning of her vision. Thus, then transforming each model into an archetype or a stylized version of their original self. Her focus is exclusively on people of African descent, whether African-American, Caribbean, from the motherland or one grandparent, etc. This artist is not interested in talking about it, but simply and solely in being about it until "the IT" becomes the norm. Due to her multicultural heritage, her work depicts the stylized structures of African figures she saw throughout the households of her family while growing up.
With an intentional Andy Warhol-esc approach to her work, Mardea welcomes all to celebrate this journey with her. For the man who feels like a metallic print on his wall will do or the girl who simply wants to wear an image on her purse because she loves it! There is a variety of prints, stock, and apparel to choose from. As her business takes off and after pause time, Mardea looks forward to adding exclusive on-demand items and innovative creations to her shop. At present, she most certainly looks forward to shooting her next breed of models.
Another important aspect of her work is that Mardea has a knack for words and approaches her audience with a healthy dose of both words and wisdom.
For more details and/or to support her work, visit Mardique.com or follow the artist on Instagram @Mardique_k