It’s no secret we’re big fans of Alex Face here at Mighty Jaxx! From our first release of Baby Rabbit to our latest Baby Beyond (Black) and everything in between, we are head over heels with Mardi. We’ve taken a look at some of our favourite Alex Face collections we have been tagged in, check them out here, and today we’ll learn more about the man behind these beloved pieces!
Alex Face’s works center around the character Mardi. You might already know that the inspiration for Mardi came from the artist’s daughter. “The first time I saw her she looked angry or worried” he says. It made him wonder why she looked like that, causing him to reflect on the life she had ahead. “I thought are you not happy to be my daughter? Are you not happy to be in the world?”
Ultimately this world changing personal event had caused Alex to consider the future and in particular to take stock of the changes happening in his own country, the country in which she would grow up.
While Mardi’s inspiration came from the birth of his daughter, Alex made sure to tell her that they are not the same entity, telling her “this is the painting, this is not you”. Mardi can be anyone, and about anyone’s story.
Looking back, Alex finds that his technique has changed when he paints the character. He points out Mardi from 10 years ago has different details from the Mardi we see today. The story behind the works Mardi has also changed to reflect the times we live in.
Alex uses Mardi to communicate that we should be taking steps to care for the next generation, and not just the current one.
Check out our artist spotlight video on Alex Face as he shares more about how the birth of his daughter inspired him, the social message behind his paintings, and his experiences leading Platform 66. Plus! Alex shares what he has in mind for his next painting, check it out:
Source: https://www.mightyjaxx.com/blogs/artist-spotlight-alex-face