Kendel Joseph, is a traveling mural artist based out of Providence RI. Specializing in a form of realism he coined as “Post Graffiti Abstract Realism” highlighted through the vehicle of public art, and large scale muralism. He explores ideas like translucency, light, and reflections across all of his art, and enjoys highlighting other artist who inspire him. He has used his art for activism in the past, as a form of protest, as a way to speak on the history of a place, culture, and the times we currently live in. He’s explored and traveled to paint murals, developing, refining and mastering spray paint techniques, and pursuing a dream to build a life around art.
The following is a conversation between artist Kendel Joseph and poet/cultural worker/ organizer Charlotte Abotsi.
Hi Kendel! This year, you’ve made quite the stamp across Providence as a public artist. From indoor galleries shows like Spires of Interludes, which was on view at AS220’s Resident Gallery this past Spring; to the large-scale outdoor mural you painted at Young Woods Elementary School on Providence’s South Side. Now you have installed Heritage at the Dirt Palace Classic, a window viewed by thousands of transit travelers, bikers, pedestrians, and commuters. How does it feel to be so on view in your hometown, especially in a year where Providence has a lot to say about public art?
KJ: Hi ! It's been awesome to continue to create new art in Providence, my favorite form of art is painting murals in public space and I think it's been an honor to create impactful large scale artworks that speak to community but also to focus on experimentation, and constantly pushing toward evolving my more creative practice through deep research on ideas of identity and cultural heritage, dream deciphering, history of place, and highlighting impactful black and brown creatives through that research.
CA: Given that your work transcends mediums, can you share how your creative approach and process might differ across projects?
KJ: Yes! I think my process differs only in the design execution. If being commissioned I'll provide a design mockup that follows specific design parameters to help the client visualize their specific vision and ideas. I've also led youth groups and schools through several different iterations of designing and painting their own murals, where the process of getting to that end goal of painting a mural has taken form several different ways. I believe my most powerful and interesting murals come out of the passion projects I pursue, where I have the most creative freedom and can experiment on the wall with process and design to create my best work - exchanging art for wall space, or when a clients mural vision (like with the Young Woods mural) aligns perfectly to my artistic practice and allows me to explore enriching community with public art .
CA: For those of us familiar with your public art work, we are used to seeing figures, faces, and fauna in your imagery. Talk about the landscape you have created with this particular piece. What is your connection to the place you’ve idealized through this painting?
KJ: This piece is a depiction of a masquerade from St. Kitts and Nevis where my family is from, the character is surrounded by sea glass and dances with a peacock. I'm simply bringing my cultural heritage to the forefront of my artwork, while taking all of the conceptual ideas of spirituality, dreams, culture, and meshing them with the environment of city life that is built on the diversity of the people who live here. Dirt Palace is in the heart of Olneyville square at one of the busiest intersections in the city, this is where the population of our city is most diverse as all different walks of life pass through this intersection daily. The masquerade is a shared history that connects a lot of the people who live here, and our heritage and folklores should be carried from our elders through us, and this is my way of passing down these traditional stories, and performances.
CA: Talk about your use of colors in this piece. There’s a flag motif that adorns one of the central figures of the painting, can you share where it’s from and how it speaks to the larger painting?
KJ: The use of colors in this piece serve several purposes but mainly the vibrant vibes of St Kitts and Nevis people. The masquerade represents the island's cultural evolution, resilience and pride as a living heritage that blends african roots, european influences and local creativity into a unique national expression. The outfits are inspired by the plumage of the peacock which in SKN culture mirrors the festive spirit of their carnival parades. I also generally use more muted tones in my work, and I think it needs a brighter color pallet.
CA: Describe the use of spray paint in your practice. What other materials, tools or techniques did you use for this piece?
KJ: The use of spray paint in my practice comes from combining my fine art and graffiti backgrounds, it’s the most versatile and challenging medium to master. The techniques that are used to create freehand realism in spray paint are unique to each of the few artists who do it, and are learned through constantly painting with spray paint. Outside of spray I use exterior bucket paint for background elements, sketching figures and general fill in of large forms because you can cover a lot more area with bucket paint than with spray paint.
CA: For as long as I have known you (close to 16 years, shout out Hope Arts High! Blue Wave!), I have watched you be a mentor and supporter of local artists of all ages. How would you say Providence’s art community contributes to your practice?
KJ: I would say Providence has some deeply rooted magic and if you visit and stay here long enough you get to experience it and become imbued by it, I'm constantly inspired by the daily life here.
CA: Most people may not know this, but alongside your illustrious career as a painter, you are also a fantastic poet! We first met as youth poets at Hope, and your poems were always acutely devastating and full of wonder. Are you still writing poetry? (for my sake, I hope so!) What other modes of art are you making and consuming? How do they inspire your work?
KJ: Time flies when you're having fun, and thank you for the kind words. Yes! I'm still writing poetry on a consistent basis. Outside of mural painting, I make smaller studio paintings and drawings in acrylic, charcoal, pencil, pastel etc. I've been doing a lot of research and studying about art making alongside my research into my heritage, trying to develop my style further, and I realized that all of these modes of artistry that I practice are tied to cultural identity, spirituality, and naturally bleed into each other and though they feel separate, intentionally bringing them together is what inspires me recently. Im always asking ‘How do I create something visually that speaks to this amalgamation of self reflected in the world around me?’
CA: What’s next, Kendel? What are you working on? Any walls you’ve got your eye on? What are you looking forward to creating next?
KJ: My next project is currently underway and should be finished soon. It's located on Broadway and John J Partington Way, and it digs deeper into all of the things we've spoken about so far. I'll be teaching more youth courses in the fall while also prepping intro to spray paint workshop plans for next year, with a book release hopefully happening in a similar time frame. I'm painting murals throughout the year, and be on the look out for those around Providence and beyond! You can find more of my artwork on instagram: @Kendel_Arts
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