THE ARTIST: TAMIA STONE MARTIN

 

“i navigate through the grey area between colours and feelings that are far from grey. by hijacking gestures and symbols, i have curved our perception inwards, onto ourselves, specifically, the enduring spiral, representing the journey of our soul. it reminds us that in order to expand outwards, one must begin by looking inwards, asking ourselves how we really feel. who are we? it’s very personal but equally entirely universal. 

enjoy the trip.”

 

Tamia Stone-Martin (b. 1998), born in South London with Jamaican heritage, is a visual and tattoo artist working across London and internationally. A qualified nurse turned full-time artist, Tamia uses a combination of spray paint and acrylic markers on canvas to simultaneously express and connect to the mundanity and the abstraction of emotions and their nuances. 

 

A self-taught creative Tamia, initially took a spray can and a canvas to release a flurry of pent-up energy, built up from encountering the juxtaposing urgency and monotony of life working for the NHS. The result of this experiment was the first of many pieces that, very literally, explodes an idea across the canvas and beyond. Using striking, clashing colours, dynamic mark-making, and distorted, psychedelic shapes, Tamia does not shy away from offering an unfiltered yet organised chaos – often through a tongue-in-cheek lens that has captured the attention of a loyal cult following in London.

 

Tamia’s distinct style continues to evolve as she continues to find her voice in taking the everyday and flipping it on its head. This has led her to garnering several accolades despite only working as an artist from late 2021. In 2022, Tamia presented work at London’s Changing Room Gallery, which was commissioned by the bespoke clothing retailer dunno curated. Later that year she facilitated an art workshop at London House of Vans, and participated in a residency at Prisma Estúdiso, Lisbon. In the same year, Tamia was a recipient of the Creative Debuts Black Artist Grant to support the research and development of new work.