Barbadian artist impressed with Toronto

July 21, 2017

At a very young age, Kon Artist (born Dwayne Mayers) knew what his career was going to be.

A piece of art that his cousin created left a lasting impression on the then four-year-old.

“It was actually a car that he drew in paint and it just blew my mind,” he said. “I didn’t believe that some person could do that with their hands. That had such a profound effect on me. I remember going home from school and just sitting down inside drawing for hours. Going outside to play, at that point, wasn’t that appealing. I really wanted to do something like what my cousin did.”

Kon Artist also decided at a young age that he would be his own boss.

“When I realised I could make money and support myself doing art, that was perfect for me,” he said. “The ability to create something from nothing means I don’t have to buy and sell to make money. That was so appealing.”

As a commercial artist, the Alleyne School graduate is very flexible.

“I do charcoal, chalk on black paper and pencil colours,” said Kon Artist who does most of his marketing on social media platforms to promote himself and his work. “But I prefer to use the airbrush because it’s quick. Time is money. I can produce something in, let’s say, 15 minutes and sell it for $100. To me, that makes sense…What I really like about the airbrush is the fact that I can use it on the body because I do a lot of body work during Crop Over and paint on cars and on walls and T-shirts. The airbrush allows you to do so many things and that’s why I love it so much.”

Four years ago, the talented artist sent an application to the Guinness Book of World Records to create 100 space paintings in 24 hours. He accomplished the feat in 20 hours, working five hours daily.

The euphoria was tempered when Kon Artist was informed that there was no category for art because it was difficult to quantify an artist’s work. 

The artist recently made his first visit to Canada for the annual Barbados on the Water weekend celebration at Harbourfront.

He was extremely impressed with Toronto.

“The city is beautiful and everything seems so orderly and organized,” said Kon Artist who also visited Montreal. “Back in the Caribbean, most things are spontaneous.”

Individuals interested in purchasing his art work can email him at dwaynemayers7@gmail.com.