Monique Mogi Gilpin
Monique is an artist currently residing in Montego Bay, Jamaica.
Monique Mogi Gilpin is one of ArtConnect’s Artists to Watch '22
The Porcelain Series is a dialogue between the concepts of stability and instability and also the traditional and contemporary realities of life. Born from her nomadic experiences, she had experienced a yearning for stability that she has embodied within the exploration of the human form in three-dimensional spaces. Every minute of our lives is spent in physical and psychological dialogue with the space around us and the contorted bodies within these oversaturated three-dimensional spaces have been transmogrified towards semi-abstraction mimicking hard ceramic surfaces. The porcelain figurines in many older Jamaican homes seem to be ever-present and are symbolic of stability that the younger generation of Jamaicans no longer seems to be able to achieve. The contortions and attempted transformation of the bodies represent the psychological struggle. She hopes the work echoes the unease, the mental and psychological strain associated with these issues.
Tristan Deschamps
Curator
“Monique Gilpin’s work captures the body in relation to an historical and cultural timeline, with a direct connection to a daily life narrative in the household. The anonymous, sculpture-like bodies, reflecting the atmosphere of the rooms there are set-up in, developing a play of colour and light, not unlike a row of porcelains in a cabinet. Gilpin proposes a strong contemporary reappropriation of the British colonialist interior dogma.”
ArtConnect asked the winning artists to share with us a glimpse into their creative life to get a sense of their personal inspiration and artistic process.
How did you get started as an artist?
I was always fascinated by human anatomy and from a very young age, my relationship with art started with a pencil and some paper. Those were my best friends. I was always drawing or sketching facial features, bodies, etc. from my imagination, every chance I got and it grew into a passion from that point. I then began exploring photography which opened up a whole other dimension of creative possibilities for me. I knew for sure then that I wanted to be an artist. I was always encouraged by family and friends to pursue art and so I did. After graduating high school, I attended the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, where I pursued a degree in Fine Arts Painting. In the following years, I freelanced in commercial photography and graphic design.
How would you describe your artistic approach?
My approach always starts with the experience, then follows with the visual representation of that experience, and then the intent behind it. For me, the process goes way beyond taking photos. I aim to create works that spark intrigue.
Porcelain Disposition VIII
And how about what inspires you?
My art is completely internally driven, it is about my emotions and passions of the moment. And sometimes, as an empath, I am highly attuned to the feelings and emotions of the energies around me and it is like a journey into the human soul embedded in a never-ending cycle.
What are the biggest challenges you’ve faced as an artist?
When you become a mom, in some instances, you can't always put yourself first. Life becomes exceedingly demanding and the pressures of that can sometimes put other dreams and aspirations on hold. While it has slowed the process down a whole lot for me, it hasn't deterred me from creating when I can.
Metamorphosis
Describe a typical day in the studio/wherever you make your work.
My studio times are typically tedious because the process doesn't only entail setting up studio equipment and taking pictures of people. It is where I explore the existence of the body in that particular space through various poses, lighting arrangements, cross-referencing the photos with my sketches, and so on.
Is there a medium, a process, or a technique that you haven't used in your work yet but would like to try out?
I have given thought to stepping outside my norm and taking my work a step further into the digital realm through the use of interactive projections.
Sara Rossling
Curator
“Monique Gilpin's distinct works of photos hold richness and simplicity at once that puts interchange between mediums, materiality and surfaces at play. They open up to layers of meaning by weaving the domestic sphere and a colonial past with implications on lived bodies through loaded everyday objects common in the Caribbean. As a colonial tool of the white gaze marking the "other", the camera and photographic process in the hands of the artist becomes a means to mould porcelain into bodies escaping definitions..”
What are you currently working on? Or an upcoming project you want to mention?
You will have to keep following me to see.
How does it feel to be selected as an ArtConnect Artist to Watch?
I must say I was ecstatic about this opportunity. I applaud all platforms that are in support of the arts, especially on a global level. It is much appreciated. Mounds of gratitude to the team at ArtConnect for the great work.
Anything else you want to add?
I look forward to continuing this journey and sharing it with the world.
See more of Monique’s work
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