Shantell Martin is one of today’s most groundbreaking multimedia artists. Known for her ongoing exploration of the vast potential of the spontaneous hand-drawn lines, below the surface of her signature black and white drawing is an exploration of the reciprocal relationship between artist and viewer, in which a work of art is more than an object of admiration. Exploring themes such as intersectionality, identity, and play, Shantell is a cultural facilitator, forging new connections between fine art, education, design, philosophy, and technology.
“I have learned to embrace my multivalent perspectives and double consciousness and to see strength and exalt in my personal and cultural in-betweenness,” says Shantell. Simultaneously with her work as a fine artist, exhibiting at institutions such as Albright-Knox, the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts, and MoMa, Shantell’s practice continuously pushes the boundaries of creative expression through thoughtful, innovative collaborations with artists, brands, and cultural institutions such as Pulitzer Prize-winning performance artist Kendrick Lamar, acclaimed designer Kelly Wearstler, the New York City Ballet, Tiffany & Co., and Nike.
Shantell is also fascinated with the relationships between storytelling, visual art, and technology. She is an adjunct professor at NYU Tisch ITP (Interactive Telecommunications Program) and completed a two-year tenure at an MIT Media Lab as a Visiting Scholar, where she worked with the social computing group to use drawing as a medium to explore the interaction of social processes with physical spaces. Shantell Martin has managed to carve out a unique style and voice in the contemporary art world.
“My preference of working in black and white is an apt metaphor for my own existence,” says Shantell. Her art is exhibited and sought after by many top museums, galleries, and art spaces such as the Whitney Museum Shop in NYC; the Oculus, World Trade Center, NYC; Governor’s Island, NYC; Denver Museum of Art, and a collaboration with the Pulitzer-Prize winning musician Kendrick Lamar. She has worked with brands as varied as Google Creative Labs, The North Face, and B&B Italia.