Profile: born in 1983 in Chicago, based in Los Angeles.
Your painting is associated with optimism. What would you define as "Tremendous"? Being able to make your own choices?
The ironic aspect of my practice is that people see my work and generally assume I'm an optimistic person 24 hours a day, which isn't true. No human being is immune to tragedy. In fact, misfortune, societal ills, pessimism and social inequalities inform my work just as much as spiritual enlightenment and optimism; One could not exist without the other. I am seeking balance in my work. I'm interested in open-ended and ubiquitous themes because they hold fundamental truths. Tremendous describes the feeling I experience upon a breakthrough. It is the gravity of waking up and creating a snapshot of a vivid dream through painting.
Ferrari Sheppard, Angels at Play, 2022, Courtesy of the Artist and MASSIMODECARLO
Is your work a testimony or an invitation?
My work is both an invitation and a testimony. It's an invitation to see what I see when I look in the mirror as an African. I see intelligence, humanity, complexity, joy, sorrow and empathy. I see endless potential.
I never attempt to be clever with my art. It's my belief that human beings aren't as witty as they think, and when applied to art, one can easily see through a clever facade. I, instead, focus on what I'm good at, vulnerability and emotion. There's deeper truth in that. And that is my testimony.
What makes these new paintings different than the previous ones?
I'm always in a push and pull battle, expanding and contracting, pivoting from loose abstraction to tight composition. I've notice the Tremendous paintings push this dynamic to its limits. The works seem to be between a dream and waking life. I hadn't applied gradient shading to my previous paintings. There are a couple works in the show that feature a realistic sky.
Ferrari Sheppard, She Always Bought Me Cookies, 2022, Courtesy of the Artist and MASSIMODECARLO
Many galleries are interested in your work. What determines the choice of a specific one?
I've come to learn the relationship between artist and gallery closest resembles a marriage. An artist and gallery must share a similar ethos. I've experienced galleries in the past who were driven solely by profit and ego, others might not have had the infrastructure necessary to support my vision. When I started my artistic journey 2 decades ago, I didn't want to be lauded the best artist in the world, I only wanted to be mentioned among the greats. If a gallery can help me achieve that, I'm all in.
Would you cite other contemporary artists you appreciate? Someone you would like to collaborate with?
I love the work of Rachel Jones; she's fantastic. There's an emerging artist based in Los Angeles called Mario Joyce, he's amazing. I love what he does with the figure in relation to space.
In theory artistic collaborations seem like a great idea, but in practice, I'm not sure they deliver. Visual art is such personal thing to me. One of the most famous artistic collaborations, Basquiat and Warhol, kind of makes me uneasy. Basquiat carried Warhol and Warhol got in the way. Respectfully.
In studio shot of Ferrari Sheppard, Photography by Mark Hanauer. Courtesy of the artist and MASSIMODECARLO
How do you imagine yourself in the future ? Still a visual artist?
I plan on being a visual artist for the rest of my life, or until arthritis turns my hands into beef jerky. I see no limit to my creativity. This could mean anything from film to fashion to sculpture.
I'd also like to delve further into philanthropy, helping to fund programs for young artists.
Ferrari Sheppard, Forever In My Heart, 2022, Courtesy of the Artist and MASSIMODECARLO
Tell me something regarding your work that I cannot guess just by watching it?
I'm able to paint realistically like Michaelangelo or Caravaggio.
Ferrari Sheppard, Tremendous, runs 17 November 2022 until 20 December 2022, MASSIMODECARLO, London
