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‘New York never stops. There is a constant drive to keep working.’
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Artist Shantell Martin is known for bringing a live audience into her work, repurposing everything from walls, people, planes, cars or clothes as her canvases. A native of London, her pursuit of her art led her to a five-year stint in Tokyo, before arriving in New York.
Shantell has featured in publications, galleries and collaborations around the globe, with work appearing in the Brooklyn Museum, Art Basel Miami with Kendrick Lamar, Bata Shoe Museum, Fast Company, The New York Times and Albright-Knox Gallery in Buffalo, New York. We spoke to Shantell on her creative life abroad and what it has meant for her work.
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On where you’re from
London, UK.
On where you’re living
I live in Jersey City and Williamsburg. I found a beautiful apartment in Jersey City, close to my art studio.
On your relationship with New York
At first it was like a roller-coaster, lots of ups and downs. Now it feels like a real home base.
Shantell Martin creating a giant wall artwork for New York Fashion Week. Photos courtesy Shantell Martin
On what inspires you in New York culture
It’s always the people you meet here, who come here from so many different backgrounds. I guess I’m really inspired by what’s going on in technology and how storytellers are finding ways to use it — but not in a contrived way that makes their work feel less personal.
On how life in new cultures inspire you
Again, it’s the people. I think different types of people gravitate to different places, but in that space you get to really learn about yourself.
‘New York taught me to be bigger and bolder, because here you kind of have to be, in order to survive and thrive.’
On whether you feel the influence of Tokyo and New York in your work
Absolutely. I think Japan taught me about patience and discipline, and that is reflected in the more detailed work I did at that time. But I think there was also this really beautiful exploration of experimentation that I have carried with me to New York. New York taught me to be bigger and bolder, because here you kind of have to be, in order to survive and thrive.
On how New York pushes you
New York never stops. There is a constant drive to keep working.
Above: 'Charge Yourself', an immersive installation at Chandran Gallery, SF. Below: Live performance collaboration with Kendrick Lamar for Art Basil Miami. Photos courtesy Shantell Martin
On creative inspiration
I try to spend time with my friends who are artists; collaborate, make art or music. But I can also find that staying home or going to my studio to reconnect with my own thoughts and my own inspiration is sometimes what I need most.
On something good to know when moving to New York
I would say don’t move here straight away. Date the city first, so then there aren't any real surprises. It’s like any other relationship… take your time getting to know it.
‘I think different types of people gravitate to different places, but in that space you get to really learn about yourself.’
On good people-watching
Union Square.
Above: Shantell Martin x Puma Collection, 2018. Below: Immersive artwork. Photos courtesy of Shantell Martin
On a favorite place to see new creative work
Friends’ studios or one-off pop-ups.
On something from the UK you need a fix of in New York
British biscuits, especially chocolate Hobnobs.
On New York in one word
Loud.
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