Mr. StarCity
Art as a message of love.
“I think art has become my platform to deliver a message of love.”
Mr. StarCity paints emotive, abstract figures in an ever-evolving practice. A self taught artist, he loves playing with eclectic materials. These include sand, soil, pumice, fabric, crayon and acrylic paint. As a result, his paintings have a thick, tactile texture. They also have a strong narrative quality. Mr. StarCity sees his art as telling stories in order to promote communal healing. He seeks to remind us of “the importance of sharing and supporting our basic human needs with the people around us.” Other works span sculpture, music and fashion. He is inspired by hip hop music and graffiti...
Mr. StarCity paints emotive, abstract figures in an ever-evolving practice. A self taught artist, he loves playing with eclectic materials. These include sand, soil, pumice, fabric, crayon and acrylic paint. As a result, his paintings have a thick, tactile texture. They also have a strong narrative quality. Mr. StarCity sees his art as telling stories in order to promote communal healing. He seeks to remind us of “the importance of sharing and supporting our basic human needs with the people around us.” Other works span sculpture, music and fashion. He is inspired by hip hop music and graffiti, as well as his personal experiences and encounters.
The LOVERBOY paintings tell the story of a heartbroken musician. Travelling for work, the titlical LOVERBOY must choose between two passions. His saxophone or his lover. On tour, he constantly falls in love with those he meets, but must be alone again each time he moves to the next city. Each brightly-coloured, hard-edged work is paired with a poem by the artist. One example goes: “Romanticising something hopeless. Another place, leads me to another face. Moonlit roses and heartache.” Created during the pandemic, the bittersweet series has themes of intimacy and sacrifice. Across his practice, Mr. StarCity encourages connection and vulnerability. Both in the figures he paints and the people who view them.
David “Mr. StarCity” White was born in 1979 in Brooklyn, New York, where he continues to live and work.
Growing up, Mr. StarCity saw many of the youth in his community die or fall victim to crimes. He would create local murals in honour of them, as a way “to endure the pain in these poverty and crime-ridden areas.” He eventually stopped to avoid “wanted” posters, but retained his love for painting.
Mr. StarCity sees art as a medium for spreading love. He tries to make himself “accessible in some way, outside of the gallery walls.” This even extends to hand-delivering his paintings to collectors.
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