German artist Moki carries the burdens that most choose to ignore. She radiates fairness and empathy for all inhabitants of this mysterious and fragile planet that we call home. Although subtle and succinct in their phrasings, Moki’s messages are extremely heavy and poignant. Her work cuts through the mundane and punctures easy narratives that keep the selfish afloat in a world that indisputably needs more awareness. If her work stings you, please know that the pain is deserved. She is not judging but rather removing the veil of ignorance and revealing the complicity shared by masses that pretend that individual gain trumps the connectivity of all existence. Art has many faces, some clearly visible, some bowed down in shyness and some screaming to be heard. Moki’s art is a soft tap on your shoulder reminding you to mind the gaps and not slip in a maze of complacency. Everyone plays a role in this thing of ours and Moki’s role is a friendly reminder that we all have a part to play.
“In my last solo show RCP85, I was exploring the gap between the feeling of escaping from a world that is faster and …”
Please tell us a little about yourself – your childhood, siblings, where you grew up, what you liked as a child, strange thoughts as a child/now, unique attributes, where you live now, etc.?
I live in Germany. I grew up in the countryside – really in the middle of nowhere. I am part of a big creative family that embraced nature. We had very little distractions – my whole upbringing was quite unpretentious.
How do you describe your form of art and what tools do you primarily use?
I do mostly paintings. I also like to take photographs, to sew and draw. I just bought a piano and I my wish is to learn to compose and eventually do interpretations.
What does your art mean to you?
I’m very grateful to be able to work with fantastic artists from various fields. I’m thankful to be able to make a living from painting because this means that I can concentrate and work with passion. This allows me to realize ideas and challenge my gift.
Which artists do you look up to the most?
Art activists such as Isabelle Fremeaux and John Jordan. Musicians such as Matthew Herbert. Writers such as Haruki Murakami. Photographers like Vivian Sassen. And comics like Marjpol.
Your images are amazingly vivid with character and awesome elements of nature and humanity – why are you pulled to create images of this manner?
In my last solo show RCP85, I was exploring the gap between the feeling of escaping from a world that is faster and faster falling apart (Anthropocene, climate change, etc.) and facing the challenges of confronting oneself with the feeling of powerlessness. I was listening to climate scientists like Mojib Latif, reading writer Naomi Klein’s recent book “this changes everything”. So the latest paintings show on the one hand, places people escape to – lonely dwellings and their inhabitants far away from society and on the other hand, distress, for example, seabirds that died of plastic waste and people laying in sewage etc.
What is the worst critique you have ever received about your work? What is the best compliment that you have received about your work?
During my time in the academy of fine arts I had talks with Andrea Tippel (an artist and writer) – once she said “if you exhibit your works and there is only one person enjoying the show it’s worth doing it and if this person is you, it’s worth it”
Since Style.No.Chaser is a men’s lifestyle magazine, what attributes/items/clothing /etc. do you think define a man?
I’m looking forward to a time with a playful humorous approach to gender without category presets.
What is your personal life philosophy?
Save the world kill yourself (Chris Korda).
What is your favorite color and why?
I like the color in between green, yellow and brown – the one precisely in the middle without a name.
If your art was a meal, what type of meal would it be?
Potato salad with mustard, cucumber, leafy vegetables and nuts.
Who dead or alive, celebrity or not, artist or not, would you like to go on a two week road trip with and why?
My love is the best person I can imagine to travel with.
What type of music do you listen to (if at all) when working?
When I’m painting I listen to science podcasts, audiobooks and radio. I also like to listen to the recent records of Matthew Halsall, JennyWilson, Sufjan Stevens, Hiatus Kaiyote, Radiohead, Roisin Murphy and many more …
How can people learn more about (or buy) your current and upcoming works?
