INTERVIEW WITH ARTIST LOUIS MASAI
 

Amy: What inspired you to create art based on endangered and extinct species?

Louis: At first I wasn't thinking about the context of the species being endangered or threatened by human existence. I've loved animals since I was very young and even as a kid I used to paint animals. When I decided to dedicate my life to a creative career I revisited my childhood obsession with painting and drawing animals. After a period of time I started becoming aware that some of the animals I was painting were in fact endangered. That observation led me to an interest in raising the profile of the species and also to explore avenues for how I could get more people caring about this subject. 
 
Amy: Some of my favorite works of yours were a part of your recent show, "The Sixth Extinction." Why paint animals in a quilt-like motif?


© Louis Masai

Louis: After having painted many animals in a more realistic approach I started introducing parts of the bodies of the animal with fabric patterns. I wanted to highlight that the species in discussion could become extinct, leaving just toys or souvenirs. I'm currently investigating images that depict the dangers that the species are facing. For example: AK47s painted on a rhino/elephant, and fishing nets painted on a turtle. This particular thought process is very current in my new series of works for my new London show, 'MISSING' which opens in May. 
 
Amy: "The Art of Beeing" was both an art project and a work of endurance. You painted 20 murals of species under threat in 12 cities across nine states in just two months. What do you hope that viewers take away from this project?

Louis: The only thing I can possibly ask is that people take a minute to reflect on their own existence in our fragile biodiversity. If we pollute the ocean, we also pollute our own bodies. The importance of a healthy biodiversity is what ensures our own health and prosperity. If I can cause thought and refection then perhaps I can also encourage new direction and conscious actions.  
 
Amy: Tell us about your forthcoming show "MISSING."

Louis: "MISSING" is my reflection on missing pet posters. I find that the human/domestic animal relationship fascinating, and even more so when you think about the general concerns for a lost pet over a lost wild animal. The species in the show span across the entire planet and fit into all kinds of categories. I'm looking at species in water, land, and air. There will be 18 new paintings, a print release, a sculpture edition and a few installation pieces. It's going to be installed inside a church crypt in Euston London—that in itself I find really intriguing. The space is called the Crypt Gallery.
 

Amy: I'm really interested in the fact that you create both studio art and street art. Do the two styles influence each other?

Louis: Absolutely. They are one in the same and each change of materials informs the next, just in the same way as 2D works are improved by also working in 3D. The same happens when I go from painting mega large scale walls to tiny studio paintings.


© Louis Masai
 

Amy: Let's talk about your "All Fruits Ripe" podcast. What's the format, and what does it focus on?

Louis: The podcast is a continued avenue for me to discuss all the things that fuel the paintings. We have open discussions with many varied people within the art community, environmental world, and everyday people doing wonderful things. I conduct the conversation with my friend Adam Hylu from the Unit 137 sound system and record label in South London. Vinyl plays a key role in the format of the podcast, as we sit in front of the Unit 137 sound system and play a selection of records that each of us and the guest have selected. The common thread in each discussion is a love for the environment and ways to share thoughts on how we can all do our bit.  

Amy: What can art teach or show us about climate change that strictly science can't?

Louis: Of course this is a subjective answer as I can't prove it, but I believe that art connects the dots together. Art is possibly one of the most powerful mediums of communication because it can utilize such a wide variation of emotions and information in one sitting. Depending on the placement of art, in the streets, say, it has the potential to include a wider audience than science. I think that unfortunately science has a hard time explaining itself to the everyday person in a digestible manner. I would argue that art can fill that communication gap.
 
I would also suggest that if someone doesn't understand the context of the painting, (for example, climate change issues), then they might just enjoy a pretty painting. Once a person becomes a fan of the painting/artist, they might become interested in what the artist is discussing. I'm not convinced that science has the power to accumulate fans based on its beauty without its context, at least not in the way art can and often does. So art potentially in my opinion has the opportunity to educate over a longer period of time and do so subjectively. There is even more power in the creation of the arts if scientists work alongside it. 


© Louis Masai

Louis Masai is a painter, sculptor and muralist who works in studios and in outdoor spaces. He uses his work as a way to highlight the 6th mass extinction, climate change, and species equality. Currently Louis is working in one of the basement studios in Beckenham Place Park Mansion in Lewisham London. In 2016 he toured the United States with “The Art Of Being,” a project consisting of over 20 murals depicting species under threat in 12 cities across nine states in just two months. With nearly one in four mammals under threat in the USA, "The Art of Beeing" highlights local species at risk and the urgent need to take action. The tour was supported by a series of mini documentaries. In 2017 Louis launched All Fruits Ripe, a monthly-streamed podcast recorded in south London with Adam Hylu of unit 137. His latest show, "Missing," runs May 25-17 at the Crypt Gallery in London.

Visit Louis at his website at http://louismasai.com/ to learn more and purchase his art.

Photo of Masai by Emil Walker.