Biblical stories, Egyptian mythology, Yoruba Orisha legends, and other narratives with modern African Diasporic themes were present during a recent Artist Talk on Wednesday, July 12. Independent curator and artist Jomani Danielle moderated the talk with Haitian American artist Watson Mere about his solo exhibition, “You Are the Myth,” at ChaShaMa art gallery (227 West 29th Street).
The discussion focused on Mere’s Haitian background and interests during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to his vision of creating captivating compositions. Mere’s paintings translate narratives of the past and dialogues about the present and the future, according to the exhibit’s description of the show.
Brenika Banks photos
Danielle inquired about the themes of Mere’s exhibit and the message he intended to convey. The responses highlighted his interest in learning about mythology and Black people’s stories from ancient times. “As I was learning, I started to see parallels [with] not only our stories of the present, in terms of the Black community, but also our stories of the past,” said Mere. He decided to paint these mythological parallels in a way for his Black viewers to see representation. In mythology, Africans aren’t usually primary figures; Greeks are mainly thought of in terms of this subject. “I wanted to make images where my community could not only see themselves but also see the parallels I’m trying to point out and align with more so our past, present, and future,” said Mere.
During this artist talk, Mere said that knowing in what direction he’s going helps him prepare to create his compositions. “I’m really trying to inject the spirit of that situation or that visual inside of me.” Mere researched books and articles about his artwork’s topics to ensure accuracy. Danielle suggested that, through his artwork, Mere is bearing emotions in the true fashion of his zodiac sign Aquarius, the water bearer.
Mere said that when something affects the Black community, such as a murder, it’s not on the news for as long as an artist sits with that moment to create a piece. “When you’re creating something, especially an art piece, it takes maybe a month to create it; you’re injecting all of the research that goes into it and all those hours sitting in front of a piece…all that energy [is] transferring,” he said. He described the feeling of having an issue embedded for the sake of art while the rest of the world moves on. In recent years, he learned how to handle those feelings and energies. “I had to learn different ways of separating myself once I’m done creating a piece,” he said.
Brenika Banks photos
Mere’s piece “Children of the Sun” showcases a father, mother, and son meditating over what appears to be their neighbors, fearful and stressed about the media’s portrayal of COVID-19. Mere incorporates Adinkra and other widely recognized African symbols in this work. “They are directly over those who are dreading the numbers and the data,” Danielle said.
When Danielle asked Mere, “What are some self-healing ways that you were able to find yourself in and how did that translate through this piece?,” Mere said he began making this piece during April 2020 while quarantined in a Brooklyn basement with no windows.
“I would say my creativity, my imagination, took over, not only in my artwork but also just all around,” said Mere. “I became a more creative individual.”
When Mere was outside grounding himself, he chose to meditate and sunbathe on the roof after seeing a young woman do so. “As I was meditating, a complete vision of this piece came to me, exactly how it is.” He was aware of how great he felt on the roof, yet concerned for those in their homes who were being “indoctrinated” with the media “pumping in a lot of fear into their heads…That’s why you see the figures in that piece, they’re not only looking at their phones but looking at TV,” said Mere. He purposely used blue light as a representation of being “programmed,” with pupils lacking in the eyes of those under the meditating Black family.
Mere’s painting “Protection, 2020” shows a Black couple sleeping with gun protection behind them as they ignore “fear of the pandemic” on the TV. He informed the art crowd that he created this painting using Microsoft Paint. His last piece, “SANGO Baba Wa, 2023,” is all paint, yet he used the techniques learned from Microsoft Paint and applied them to physical painting on a canvas. Both artworks hung across from each other during the Artist Talk.
Danielle said Mere was “light years ahead” with his style and encouraged him to keep honing his rare craft.
The Artist Talk included a special short reenactment of a scene from the award-winning play “The Fourth Alaafin of Oyo” by Taiwo Aloba. The scene was performed for the audience in front of the piece “SANGO Baba Wa, 2023,” based on the experience of starring in the leading role as Sango.
Mere’s goal for a legacy is to create an art school in Haiti. He hopes to use his connections and influence to help the artistic youth from his country. He aims to help the next generation of great talents. For more information, visit https://watsonmere.com/.