Your name Mackai Sharp Place of birth Somewhere secret in the prairies. Place where you live now Vancouver Island, "Canada". but I am also present in different areas of "Canada" and other parts of the world. 3 words to describe you Intentional, evolving and committed. In that order. Why do you take pictures? The same reason I stand in the sun, or stand on my tippy toes to match the height of everyone in the room. It's a reflex. Makes me feel like I can explain the rhythms and intricacies of my brain. As well as what a valuable opportunity it is to share such a vulnerable moment with a subject, whether that is the waves around the corner from my house or the friend I haven't seen in a while. Where do you get your inspiration? At this point in my life, as a teenager, art is a tool for reflecting my lived experiences and getting to work with them in a way that helps me process it all. For my best work, it requires equal parts LIVING other dimensions of life that I can than dip into from piece to piece like adding additional colours of paint to my palette. Who are your influences? While I do have a few visual artists like Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat or Wolfgang Tillmans as influences; I am primarily impacted by the way they utilize art as expression and their movement through the world rather than for their artistic style. I am more so creatively influenced through music. Nothing even comes close the amount of music I absorb every single day. Artists such as Solange, Shabazz Palaces, King Krule, Blood Orange and FKA Twigs are just a few of the people who I look to whilst conceptualizing work. Grateful for all of them. Nothing makes me float like music. What determines the subject matter you choose? Whichever way the wind blows. Thus far I've encountered all my work organically just by being in the right place (Literally and metaphorically) at the right time. Having said that I find myself consistently going back to themes surrounding my memories, the planet and people with a voice that deserves to be heard. I try to overlay my values within work that I do, which tends to polarize the subject matter. What impact would you like your art to have? I really really enjoy going to museums, especially contemporary ones, and just spending hours absorbing work by other people. And at some point, I'll come across one piece, one exhibit; that I can feel myself in, that deeply resonates with me. It is as though the artist has translated their message into this medium that I then get to translate back, like we are having a conversation. And I get to walk away with a piece of that conversation that sticks to me like glue. If I can make anything that is that one specific moment for someone else, I've succeeded. That's a privilege. What artwork do you never get bored with? Donuts by J Dilla Is there anything you want to add? From my tiny island, the massive world beyond seems like the biggest step away. I am currently free falling into the unknown, so if anyone's there, feel free to catch me. (This is a roundabout way of pleading for advice & seeking collaboration, fyi. xoxo).
Kill Yourself brings the casualness of harassment to the foreground, reminding our community of the ever-present threat of intolerance. Highlighting the complicity that we as a community tend to hold when bigotry plays out in public spaces. This piece allows time to reflect on the present situation within the hometown of Mackai Sharp and searches for a way to evolve our collective ideologies to encompass inclusivity.
