Malaika Favorite
ARTIST STATEMENT: “I work in a variety of styles and media, depending on the nature and purpose of the work. My studio work usually focuses on a particular theme; I stay with that theme until I exhaust it; sometimes I revisit the theme after I get more insight into the idea; in this way, I am constantly exploring old and new territory. When I work with a specific subject, I like to challenge myself to take the idea as far as it will go—given the materials available to me.”
WORKING WITH SITE-SPECIFIC PUBLIC ART: “My first public art commission was in 1998. I was commission to created 28 paintings sizes 3 x 3 ft to 6 x 8 ft for the HARRIETT G. DARNELL MULTIPURPOSE FACILITY. The commissioned was funded by the Fulton County Arts Council, One percent for art program. Because the community was an integral part of the project I spent time visiting the area and meeting with community members who would be using the facility. After several meetings and discussions with individual members of the community, we came up with a focus them for the paintings. I was able to create paintings that were a personal testimony of the people who lived in the area. It also allowed me to honor their history and culture.”
WORKING WITHIN A HISTORIC DISTRICT: “When working on a commission I base my work on the needs of the community or project. This is especially true in relation to my murals for Auburn Avenue in Atlanta GA and White St., also in Atlanta GA. The Auburn Avenue mural was created in conjunction with the Alliance Theater 2007 production of, The Women of Brewster Place. To create the design for the mural I did an in-depth study of the novel by Gloria Naylor. For the mural on White St. in Atlanta I did an in-depth study of the West End area where the mural was to be located. I used elements from the history of the area to create a design theme for the mural. I used this same research method for an outdoor mural at the St. Gabriel Medical Center in St. Gabriel LA.”