With “Nostalgia,” I challenged myself to capture some of my favorite original Super Mario characters free-hand, using only Conte crayon and four basic colors: white, black, red-orange, and brown. This series, like the “Swagghammer” piece, is a tribute to, and a commentary on, the figures that I was obsessed with when I was younger.
It’s the kid in me that made Mario and his posse something I felt I had to draw, because I knew I would regret it when I got older if I didn’t have a giant Bowser hanging in my foyer.
Mario games in particular represents a certain innocence, I didn’t draw GTA or HALO or COD for a reason, even though I played those games as well. Nostalgia is all about fond memories and innocent pleasures crystallized. This connects to a common theme in my work as I examine the gradual loss of innocence in children, but specifically the young black male.
Mario (2012)
Luigi (2012)
Yoshi (2012)
Toad (2012)
Bowser (2012)
Koopa and Paratroopa (2012)