Interview
Chico Molo
Chico Molo was born in Jamaica in 1960. He comes from a diverse mixed cultural background , his father being Chinese Jamaican and his mother having ties to both Africa and Europe. His family came to the UK in 1965 where they settled in Wembley, here he attended both primary and secondary school. Chico had difficulty settling into his new environment having been used to the freedom and open spaces of Jamaica, that provided an abundance of nature. In later life he was diagnosed with Dyslexia, this would explain why as a child, he had difficulties with academic studies but was drawn to his artistic creative side and art became his escape from an early age. And it was there that he found his highest achievements and accomplishments. From this early age he dreamed of becoming an artist but lacked the self confidence to believe in this dream.
On leaving secondary education with an “A” level in art and two GCSE in graphic design and photography, he went on to study Interior Design where he achieved a BTEC diploma. On leaving college he work in many industries from fashion to car sales to the building industry until he became disillusioned with his life once more. It was then he decided to enroll in some evening art classes at the City Literature Institute in Holborn London, were he was offered a place to join their Art foundation course. On finishing his art foundation he was offered a place at Central Saint Martins school of art and design where he studied fine art, Printmaking and Photo-Media. He achieved a BA Hons degree (1995-1998). On leaving this course he bought a printing press and rented a studio near his flat in Clerkenwell London. This provided a space to practice and explore new techniques. Here he worked in wood, fine casting plaster as well as on paper, hard board and canvas. He eventually found his visual language when he decided to work flat and wet, decision in response to a fire the took place in his studio, giving up his brushes for syringes instead and using found objects and recycled materials as a third force within his process . He called his technique going with the flow, not only finding an original, unique conceptual style, more importantly he found the voice, message and meaning in his work. The message of his work is about global warming and climate change, the big issue of today.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“I was born in Jamaica in 1960. I came to London at the age of six with my parents. I found settling down very difficult, as London was the opposite of Jamaica. In Jamaica, I had a freedom to roam in nature and explore. In London I felt boxed in, and surrounded by culture. I had a troubled childhood perhaps because of my dyslexia, I was not very academic, but I was drawn to my creativity. Art became my escape, the first time I felt a sense of accomplishment and achievement was when my teacher set up a series of still life compositions which I had to draw in pencil, charcoal and then paint using colours. I remember they were a quantum leap from my previous works. It was the first time that I felt a sense of pride. From then I always dreamed of becoming an artist, but something was holding me back. My influences outside of school were not positive ones. Art became something on the side instead of the main focus of my life. Although I achieved an ‘A’ in art, an ‘O’ in photography and in graphic design my academic achievements not very good.
On leaving school, I went on to study Interior Design and achieved a BTEC diploma in this subject. But I found this subject was restricting and longed for my creative freedom to just paint but I didn’t feel that I was good enough. I day I asked myself ‘What makes me happy’ it was the most important question I could ask myself. The answer came to me straight away ‘art.’ So I enrolled onto some evening classes straight away at the City literature institute in Holborn London. After a week at evening classes my teachers invited me to join the art foundation course, which I did, and It was here that I discovered printmaking and was inspired by some of the best teachers who were to lay the foundation for my future work. Although I really wanted to be a painter , I seemed to excel in printmaking. This was a very happy period in my life. After I finished my foundation course, I was accepted to do my degree in printmaking and photo-media at Central Saint Martins school of art in Central London. Here I was able to try new ideas and techniques. My road into the art world was not a straight path but somehow I reconnected and art finally found me again. My first big series was working on the notion of ‘identity,’ using my own body to print myself directly onto photographic paper using Vaseline as a resist, and the developer as an active force the light becoming the third force that bought about the balance. This series was very strong and it seemed to come through me as well as from me. This was not the beginning but it was a significant milestone in on my journey. Later, I would find many other events and experiences that would create more meaningful milestones on my path.”
What inspires you?
“Nature and culture is the inspiration for the work. The voice of the work is about global warming. I mix painting with printmaking. Art is my passion, that’s what inspires me. The world and the environment around me and all the events that occur on this planet. When you look out into the world from your window you see these two opposite forces: culture and nature.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“When we look out into the world we see two distinct themes culture and nature. Balance between these two opposing forces is the main focus of the work. The themes of the work come under the umbrella of Global Warming and climate change. Perhaps the titles of the series may indicate the meaning of the work. Or the fact that the work is created by using recycled and found, thrown away objects may give a clue. The work is a kind of mark marking process, which is a metaphor for the marks we leave behind on this planet we call our home. I was recently asked what was important to me about being an artist? My reply was the message, meaning and voice of the work. As my work comes through me not from me. I’m always asking myself, what is the work trying to tell me? Sometimes the answers don’t always come out straight away but further down the road. My work concentrate on two types of marks. The marks Culture and the marks of nature, I’m always trying to find a balance between the two types of marks. When we look out of our windows we see these two opposing forces within the shapes, textures and colours.
The landscapes and city compositions reflect these perspectives in the series ‘Bling City’ the marks of culture are made from found man made, manufactured objects, anything metals, plastics, ceramics, card, foods as long as they are flat with interesting textures and shapes. I have fun looking for strange things on the streets or in places that people discard their unwanted items. Everything represents something in real life on more than one level. For example food may look like a stone wall but it also represents hunger and famine. The Bling City series is called bling because of the bright and shiny bits found in the buildings, the lights of a city that beckons us too it center like moths to a flame. The movement of people drawn to its lights feeds the machinery of culture and this machine grows at the expense of nature. In fact, they are both opposite forces. For the marks of nature I use wet tissue paper which leaves an organic mark on the surface, or leaves, string, some leaves look like trees or bushes. You never know what you might encounter that can be used and what kind of mark it will have on the surface of the canvas. Other series’ like the Mandala series represent our planet, we use the idea of the Mandala to create our own planets. The Human Traffic series is about population, people, the way we move in a city and how the city moves us. The Butterfly collection represents a clean and healthy environment, in London I could only find a few variations of butterflies, here in Tuscany there’s so many different types of butterflies, I never knew there were so many different variations of butterflies both in patterns and sizes.”
How would you describe your work?
“My work is a stepping stone, work is born out of previous ideas, so ideas are always evolving and mutating, both through techniques and materials. Some may start of on paper but then I want to see what happens if I make it on wood, or use fine casting plaster to see what will happen. There are no rules, the idea dictates the technique and the process. Also necessity is the mother of invention, for example I had a commission to create a series of work that was to large for my printing press, so I decided to make it in plaster instead of on paper. This idea solved many problems and gave me results that I had not expected, and it was another form of printmaking just without a press. So I describe my work as a constant evolution.”
Which artists influence you most?
“Klimt for sure. Video artist Douglas Gordon as well.”
“Nature and culture is the inspiration for the work. The voice of the work is about global warming.”
What is your creative process like?
“I have more than one visual language but the one I’ve used the most and talk about the most, is the one I call going with the flow. It combines painting and printmaking. I call to going with the flow because I work wet, and on a flat surface, either hard board or canvas. I don’t use paint brushes, I use them only for mixing colours. Instead I use syringes to apply my colours along with a water spray the make sure my surface is wet. Before I apply any paint, arrange and prepare my composition, meaning I draw out an outline and then I place objects inside my composition. These objects are things that I’ve found and collected for their shapes and textures.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“This is a very interesting question and that requires some thought. I can’t answer this in general terms, but I would say yes. Artists are supposed to change things, I’m speaking from my own personal experience and perspective. Firstly there are many different kinds of artists and art. Some work in the commercial industry and they are working to a specific brief that follows the requirements of a client. As fine artists we all follow our own rules and guidelines, with our own interests and interpretations of what is art and its purpose. We have to look at some well known artists and ask ourselves what did their work change? We can start with the most well known artists.
When Damien Hurst, first put a great white shark in a tank of flamalderhide it changed the art world , forever. Why because it had never been done before. It was ground breaking. It caused a big debate as to what is art? Many artists reacted badly to the shock of the new, rejecting it outright. But the art world embraced this new idea with open arms. He challenged and changed our perceptions of art itself, pushing its boundaries beyond our imagination into a new type of art. When Douglas Gordon won the prestigious Turner prize award. He was the first video artist to achieve this milestone. His work was not just a piece of art on a screen, it was able to jump inside our minds and cause physical reactions, his ability to leave the viewer totally unbalanced with the moment of an image and then rebalance his audience, it was a phycological journey that viewers physically shaken especially with his work ‘The Divided Self.’ Where Gordon used the ‘law of three’ intentionally or unintentionally it added a layer of tension that enabled deep memories to rise to the surface.
Last but not least we can look at the artist ‘Banksy.’ Banksy has become a household name by bringing his art to the streets and out of the gallery setting. His work mixes political satire, social commentary and humour. His political views on Israel and Palestine is able to be seen on walls and it’s okay because it art. Also because he is Jewish he can own it without too much criticism. By putting his work in the public domain Banksy has put a worth and value to that space and has put graffiti on the stage the art world and what is art. Of course the art world has a label to describe everything, weather high or low art his work can be thought provoking. Some art can do that, some may simply put a smile on our faces instantly when we see it. Changing our moods and emotions. I’m an artist but and as an artist I am always willing to use my voice and platform to bring to light the biggest issues of the day. When I began on my path the work was about ‘identity’ then it changed to global warming and climate change. I have two Facebook accounts one is about my work and climate change the other is used as I platform to highlight the plight of the Palestinian situation and Gaza, I’m giving voice to the people who have none. I’m an artist but first I’m a human being and I have a duty to try and bring changes on both levels. My passion doesn’t stop at art it bleeds into all aspects of life.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“I would say the exhibition ‘Culture vs Nature’ that I had in London, back in 2008 at the Richmix Art Centre - Bethnal Green Road. Also I would like to mention the exhibitions I had in Italy, some of them, where the paintings I have exhibited have been published in important catalogues. The Infinity Academy catalogue published by famous Italian editor Giorgio Mondadori, exhibition in Gubbio 2019. The Pace E Amore catalogue, still from Giorgio Mondadori, exhibition that took place at the big Mosque of Rome in 2018. The Biennale of contemporary Art by the lake of Como, published in a catalogue from art critic Gianmarco Puntelli in 2018. The Arte a Palazzo catalogue, after an exhibition in Bologna with special guest famous Italian art critic Vittorio Sgarbi in 2018. I was also part of the choices of Puntelli tour. In 2018, 2021, 2022, 2024 and 2025 I have had an exhibition part of a special art event in the beautiful location of the Villa Reale in Marlia, Lucca’, Tuscany.”
