MUKA: Sugar-Coated

LA-based mixed media artist MUKA is kicking off a solo show at ShockBoxx Gallery this Saturday, and there’s more to her new body of work than meets the eye. Sugar-Coated will feature a mix of vibrant abstract paintings in MUKA’s signature style juxtaposed with photography of the artist shot by Drew Langer—oh, and teddy bears. We met MUKA in Los Feliz to grab a coffee and get the story behind the bear. Trust us—you won’t want to miss this show.

Asymmetric Magazine: Congrats on your upcoming solo show at ShockBoxx! What’s the story behind Sugar-Coated?
MUKA: ShockBoxx pitched the show to me right at the beginning of a six-month hiatus that I went through, and I was really excited about it. Little did I know, I was about to go into a deep, depressive state, and that time was really stressful—I wasn’t painting, and I didn’t have any ideas. Then all of the sudden in January, everything just kicked into gear, and I’ve been feeling really creative. The show is based around mental health, and a big aspect of the show will be an in-person experience. I want to show people that there’s a lot that we miss with people who struggle with their mental health, and a lot of times that leads to suicide. A big portion of the show is highlighting that. The reason it’s called Sugar-Coated is because all of my work is so pretty and bubbly and pink and fun, but I’ve always struggled with depression and suicide ideation. People don’t see that when they see my work, so I really want to drive that home in this show.

AM: How are you portraying these themes of mental health in this new body of work?
M: A lot of these pieces have a lot more black in them. They’re still fun and electric, but I’m painting black on black details using the darkest black paint. You have to really look at it to notice it. There’s so much color going on in each piece already, that it’s going to be super easy to miss [the black detail] unless you’re looking for it. I’m also using flowers in these works because flowers are so delicate, dainty and fragile. People are so fragile; minds are so fragile. Along with each piece, I’m collaborating with a photographer. I have a painted teddy bear head, and we’re photographing the bear head with my nude body in different poses. The point of the photography is to show these moments that are being missed—substance abuse, general mental illness, social isolation—moments like that, and each photo will be paired next to a painting. When you view the painting, maybe you’re seeing the moment, but you’re not really grasping the gravity of it, so the photos will highlight those. At the end of the show, I want to reveal those [details] that people missed in the pieces. Everything is so sugar-coated, but people are dying—I was dying—and people missed it.

Everything is so sugar-coated, but people are dying—I was dying—and people missed it.

AM: What’s the story behind the bear?
M: Teddy. I actually have a Teddy that I got the year my dad died. Teddy got me through a lot; I told him everything, fell asleep crying with him, celebrated moments with him, and took him everywhere. When it comes to my art, my art is a different side of me. MUKA is the child that wasn’t heard. That little girl is so loud, and I’ve been exploring that. I wanted to bring that child-like experience into my work, so I started drawing Teddy. He knows everything about me. It started with doodles and then just became a thing. Now Teddy is everywhere.

AM: Do you remember the first Teddy you ever painted?
M: The first one I ever painted was my smoke Teddy bear. I painted it with the smoke of a candle at the beginning of the pandemic when I was trying out different mediums. I lit a candle and turned the canvas on its side to burn the bear into the canvas. He has a heart and says “Don’t Touch Me”.

AM: How has Teddy evolved from then to now?
M: He’s definitely become louder and more authentic. He’s my spokesperson. There are things I don’t feel comfortable saying, so I can just be like, ‘Teddy will say it’. At first he was cute and shy, but now he’s snarky and doesn’t give a fuck what anyone thinks.

AM: Is there a piece in the show that you would say resonates with you more than the others?
M: At the moment, no, because all of the work is evolving. My favorite parts of each piece are definitely the flowers.

AM: You mentioned going on a hiatus, which I think a lot of artists can relate to, especially coming out of the pandemic. What kept you grounded during that time when you weren’t painting?
M: Definitely my therapist and really dealing with the emotions that were happening within me. A lot of the block came from avoiding things for so long. It piles up until you literally can’t breathe or do anything. I had to tackle a lot of these feelings head on, and that was the only way I got out of it.

AM: What would you say to artists who are stuck in a similar space or creative rut?
M: Take it easy on yourself and give yourself some grace. Forcing things as an artist is not going create anything you’re proud of—at least in my experience.

AM: What music are you into right now?
M: I really like Billie Eilish. She’s all I listen to while I paint.

AM: What about visual artists you have your eye on?
M: Definitely Punk Me Tender and MONCHO1929.

AM: What can we expect to see from you next?
M: After this show, I want to find a way to elevate my work with different colors. I also want to step away a little bit from the abstract work and push myself into creating different styles—painting more actual teddy bears.

AM: Speaking of different colors, pink is a dominate color in your work. Can you speak to that?
M: For a long time, especially after my dad died, I took on this really tough persona. I was trying to be emotionless and be the strong person for my mom and brother. I wasn’t really experiencing what I was feeling. I think doing that over time really put me in this kind of masculine state of being. Through discovering myself, I’ve explored the more feminine side of myself, and for me, pink represents that. I wasn’t tuning into that side of myself, so now it’s all I want to do. Pink is so inviting to me.

Sugar-Coated opens at ShockBoxx Project on Saturday, April 2 at 6:00pm // more info
all photos courtesy of MUKA; black & white photo of MUKA shot by Drew Langer