Mixed media takes on a whole need meaning for Caribbean artist Miles Regis. Born in Trinidad and currently based in LA, he has become prolific in both fine art and fashion design, known for his large mixed media paintings incorporating materials such as denim, buttons, sequins, leather. These richly hued paintings tell a stories of love, loss, survival, freedom, activism and living history.
Ahead of his show at Art Africa Miami, we sat down with the artist to discuss his current inspirations.
How did your journey as an artist begin?
Art has been part of me all my life as far back as I can remember growing up in Ghana. I grew up very humble in a small village. During that time, my village didn’t have any electricity. My uncle was a taxi driver, and when he would come home from work, my friends and I would take his car battery and use it to power a small black and white TV set. That was how I watched cartoons to be inspired to draw the characters. I loved to draw growing up; I still do now.
What is your biggest motivator as an artist?
My biggest motivator as an artist is being able to create work that challenges the status quo and provide an alternative canon through which everyday people can be seen and heard.
My work explores parallels and discourses in the duality of my own identity. It expresses a viewpoint of people, shapes, and colors relevant in the everyday lives of individuals I engage with. As a result, this blurs the preconceived notion of cultural identity and blackness portrayed within the global racial canon.
Art is about humanity, and humanity is ever-evolving to change. Art affects social change as it challenges the status quo and spark dialogues, which helps convey an alternative perspective on society.
