In our previous Art class, a group of our TY students met up with a Nigerian Artist Fred Martins who creates work to raise awareness about a range of social issues including climate change or equality. In his work Fred uses simple compositions combined with bold colors and symbolism to elicit emotional response in a viewer. This creative approach makes every of his pieces into a form of a visual statement which Fred uses as a powerful tool to speak about the most concerning world issues.
During the meeting Fred chatted to our students about the inspiration behind his work and the importance of art being used as a media to create a better reality for future generations. Fred explained how his own experiences had an impact on his work and ignited his passion for making a difference by being more actively involved with community and creating Art that has the power to make a difference in the world.
Along with discussing some of his recent projects, Fred also gave our students a range of tips which will help them to develop their own responses to their recently started Art project on 'climate change'. A big thank you to Fred for spending his time with our students and caring about their engagement in active artivism.
Below you can see some images Fred designed to better understand the emotional approach he takes in his work which strikes the viewer with its simple yet powerful messages.