Today we’d like to introduce you to Iman Moore.
Iman, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
My journey began on a Naval base in Ceiba, Puerto Rico born to a single mother from Sierra Leone. I come from a family that takes great pride in academia and conventional careers, which had a detrimental impact on the progression of my creative skills. I would always tell everyone I wanted to become a Paleontologist or work in a research lab. This concentration on science took a lot of attention and time away from my creative calling. In 2016 I started my college career at Georgia State University, majoring in Biology. However, after a series of events and four major changes later, I finally realized that art is the only thing in life that makes sense to me. So here we are!
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
Overall, I am simply an artist, but my primary medium is oil paint. During adolescence, I always felt that I was different in an unexplainable way from others around me and I spent quite some time trying to figure it out. I found that Dissociation/Derealization was the culprit, and this directed me to be inspired by surreal and hyper-realistic themes. My message through my art can be about embracing “negative” affairs or grotesque images and using them to create a narrative. At the same time, some themes in my art might not make any sense at all so my ultimate goal is mostly about self-expression and not restricting its conception. I am also an aspiring model as well, and some of my biggest inspirations are Grace Jones, Naomi Campbell, and Alek Wek. All of these supermodels have a powerful grasp on who they are, and never allowed the industry to mold them; instead they molded the industry. Seeing darker skinned Black models who exude so much confidence motivates me every day to strive for that same poised attitude.
Do you think conditions are generally improving for artists? What more can cities and communities do to improve conditions for artists?
I believe artists shape the environment and mood of every era, but this is a largely thankless job. Even now, many people reduce our talents to just “hobbies’’ and something to not be taken seriously. Social media has helped a lot as far as exposure and connections, but I wouldn’t describe being an artist as “easy’’ as there are many sacrifices you will have to make. I think helping an artist means paying a fair price for their work and referring talented artists for valuable opportunities.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
I will be creating an online portfolio in the near future but for now, my art page is @MalumFacies on Instagram.
Contact Info:
- Email: imanmoore.13@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deathkloks/
Image Credit:
Nia Hemmitt, Ellis Hinton
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