Event took place on: 10 February 2022

In this We As Nature podcast episode, we’re joined by UK-based painter, sculptor, and muralist, Louis Masai. Nature is Louis’ muse, with his global art projects highlighting the sixth mass extinction, climate change, and species equality, as a means to ignite environmental reflection. Louis’ story reflects the circular nature of life and encapsulates the interconnected nature of all living things, as he inspires us to consider the legacy each of us leaves behind.

In Louis’ We As Nature story, he shares:

  • His childhood memories of mushroom hunting and the impact this had on him
  • How the natural world has taught him the circular nature of life, and how he has witnessed this circularity in his own embodied experiences
  • His journey from fine art to graffiti, which led him to fall in love with art as an expression of his love for nature
  • What he’s learned from living by the ocean and how this continues to influence his work
    How time spent in the Amazon rainforest subconsciously influenced his artistic expressions of endangered species
  • The interconnectivity of science, community, and art that forms the bedrock of his projects
  • How he sees his art as a mycelium, and the meaning behind this metaphor
  • His current community-based art project that holds the mission for Margate to become a plastics-free town
  • The individual’s role in biodiversity and what legacy means to him

 

You can listen below or find this episode on all major podcast platforms including Spotify, Amazon and Apple:

 

About Louis

I grew up living above my parent’s restaurant, so when my Dad finished service I would join him in his studio to draw and paint. This is when my love for painting really started to flourish. I didn’t enjoy education, so when I realised that I could study art at University I pursued that and acquired a Fine Art Degree in Falmouth, Cornwall.
I get huge enjoyment from both painting in the studio and painting murals in the public domain. My most recent love is for installation and 3D, I like to constantly learn new ways to create my work and love pushing my own boundaries. After three incredible years with a studio in the ancient Beckenham woods I am now heading back out to the coast, this time its Margate.

My subject matter focuses on animals but always strives to find a way to engage the audience with a point of environmental reflection. My recent documentation of endangered species and raising awareness of environmental statistics has on occasion been associated with activism. I find this a bit daunting as I only see myself as an ‘artist’ but I see the power in visual language and I’m enjoying utilising that via my paintings, murals and installations. I have recently started a new series of works about the farming industry, discussing the animals humans eat, and mono-farmed crops.

Find out more about Louis’s work:

 

 

The We As Nature podcast is brought to you by Flourishing Diversity and recorded live during a free monthly online gathering. You can find out more and register for our upcoming We As Nature events here.

Illustrations by Rohama Malik

Podcast
Date Added: 20 February 2022