Follow along as I continue my interview with illustrator and visual artist Marlie Decopain. Marlie has worked with Nike, Prudential, and pop star Rick Martin, creating eye-catching visuals and illustrations to help them promote their brands. She’s a graduate of New York’s School of Visual Arts. If you missed the first part of the interview, CLICK HERE.
Kreyolicious: When you’re creating, what do you surround yourself with?
I don’t surround myself with anything in particular, but being in solitude is important in the beginning of my creative process. It’s when I’m alone that I get inspired. It’s like filtering out everyone’s voice and energy so that I can hear and feel my own.
Kreyolicious: Would you say that being a creative has more plus than minuses?
I don’t think it can be measured in that way. I think that every day brings its own joys and challenges in various degrees and it’s just a matter of perspective. I do think though that there’s something special about being an artist and it’s that it requires that you touch your soul to create.
Kreyolicious: You have this piece entitled “Naked Roots”. How did that come about?
Naked Roots came about some time after I cut off my relaxed hair and started wearing my hair in its natural state. It was inspired by my journey of discovering my natural hair. After I cut off my hair, I realized that there was a whole community of women embarking on the same journey. Naked Roots was for me and also for them. These women were learning, unlearning and relearning how to properly care for their hair. Some went from seeing it as something to mask to loving it for its beauty and authenticity.
For me, this piece started out as an homage to hair but over time also became about making peace with and finding power in who you are as a person naked at your roots.
Kreyolicious: Out of all your visual creations, which was created with the most glee?
I enjoyed making all of my pieces, but I think that my series called ”Tribute” was the most special to me. It’s a series of 10 artwork, each featuring one of the many aspects of Haitian culture that I experienced as a child living in Haiti. This series allowed me to reconnect to my country through my art and to also bring those memories back for many Haitians in the diaspora.
If you missed the first part of this conversation, please CLICK HERE to read it!
