I discovered Makayla Binter in my own hometown – she is a local artist repped by one of my favorite local galleries, Elder Gallery.
Makayla has always had a love for creating art, but after graduating from Davidson College in 2020, her focus was on a career in sports medicine. Her focus shifted after George Floyd died, and she was inspired to participate by collaborating on Black Lives Matter mural painting.
Since then, she has strived to represent the Black community in a positive way through her artwork. I am especially drawn to the combination of both light and darkness in her digital photography.
While I initially reached out to speak with Makayla a couple of months back, I thought it was fitting that we ended up posting this during Black History Month.
Learn more and read my Q&A with Makayla, below.
5 Questions for Makayla Binter
1) What is your favorite kind of work to do at the moment?
Right now I am in a very exploratory phase. I am working on connecting my Urban Design classes into art while also thinking about implementing these designs/drawings/paintings into space. It is actively growing and changing as I continue to make. However, the easiest thing I can do right now is draw with my iPad and make digital drawings, so I am currently working on my works stylistically there. I then find the transition from digital to works on paper the easiest, so that is where I am right now.
2) What kinds of things inspire you?
It’s everyday experiences. I love to read and listen to podcasts and go on walks. As this collection of experiences and knowledge grows, I find myself building my collection of ideas and thoughts to then make artwork from. A bank of experience (if you will) that I then pull from to create. But I love the little details of life like puddles, plants, and flowers – or like when dandelion seeds float in front of you and you try to catch them. It’s moments like that!
3) Who else do you admire in the art space?
That is a tough question because a lot of people have my admiration for different reasons. Tim Miner for his work inside and out of the art scene and connecting artists to opportunities, Carla Aaron-Lopez for her support and encouragement of young artists like myself, Kalin Renee for being just dope and a talented female artist, John Hairston, Jr. for being the guidance I needed since I’ve been in college, and Sam Guzzie for her work with Brand the Moth and encouraging young artists to step into a new light through features in the Mint Museum and in a residency. I absolutely appreciate artists like Frankie Zombie for pushing me to think of what I want out of my art career and showing me it’s possible. DeNeer Davis, Marcus Kiser, Georgie Nakima, and more…I could honestly go on and on.
4) Coolest possession?
Probably this mint condition 1970’s The Amazing Spiderman Comic or my record player which plays records, cassette tapes, CDs, connects to Bluetooth, and does the radio.
5) Favorite quote or words to live by?
As of recently, I have been reading The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. In the book, she has this affirmation that is “I am a prolific and brilliant artist”. It’s not anything super crazy, but she encourages you (the reader) to write it out, every day. I have since the beginning of the year and it has been a huge confidence booster and a reminder to myself and inner creative that we are, and are capable of being, exactly that.
I am a prolific and brilliant artist.
To see more from Makayla:
Follow her on IG, or visit her site for more.
I hope everyone has a wonderful rest of the week!
xx—BB
0 comments on “Artist Feature // 5 Questions for Makayla Binter”