We were lucky to catch up with Miles Regis recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Miles thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?

I would love to be a source of inspiration. I really am painting messages of hope as we live through life’s challenges. It is a celebration of our resilience and reflection of the environment we are currently experiencing on all levels. Emotionally, physically, spiritually and otherwise.

I believe my perspective on live is a bit different as a black man, as a father raising college age children, as an immigrant from a predominantly black nation. I want people to say wow he used his voice for good and man did he live life to the fullest. And I hope it is all expressed in the body of work I leave behind. There’s a lot that goes into play which I think allows for a bit of a different perspective on life as it happens. I honestly hope to be remembered for making people really ‘feel’ something. No matter what the subject matter is. I would like to be remembered for creating a body of thought provoking work that people were able to find joy and experience a sense of hope in some manner. One of my collectors recently told me that my art was the first art that he had experienced that made him actually excited and feel something. I thought that was beautifully expressed.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am a multi-disciplinary artist who has been creating since childhood. As a young child growing up in Trinidad I was very active as a singer- songwriter and visual artist and became a professional singer as a teenager recording and touring with local bands. I also was very into creating fashion and with the help of my grandmother started designing and manufacturing clothing. I also exhibited my art as a teen and entered several art related competitions.

In my early twenties after studying creative writing at USC, I worked in the record industry at record labels and in the movie studio world before finding my way as a full time creative after working on the business side of the entertainment business for over a decade. Although I continue to write and record music my art has been front and center over the past fifteen years of me being a full time artist. I show with a few galleries in the USA, in The Ivory Coast, Dubai, London, Paris, Germany and in my home region of the Caribbean.

My clothing line also allows me to connect with supporters globally and has been feature I store at Fred Segal and American Rag Cie. I have also had licensing clothing partnerships with brands such as Volcom.

I am really happy to say that as an adult I truly am living out my dreams as I create art for a living and I am still using all my talents and gifts I discovered I was strongest at doing as a child.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I had to do a major pivot during the pandemic. My business was severely affected by the lockdown. All galleries were closed and I had to find new ways of getting my art out to the public. This was a challenge I was not anticipating. I turned to social media to get my work exposure and in terms of content I started working on a body of work that was reflective of what we were experiencing during the lockdown. Work that I thought would be relatable. My pandemic work ended up being some of my strongest most compelling work to date. My commentary on the George Floyd uprising titled ‘America’ became my biggest selling print reproduction and the image ended up on the cover of the LA Weekly.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I believe the pandemic time also speaks to resilience. On the clothing side of things, my Miles Regis Collection wearable art venture switched gears and I started making various face masks featuring my art on them. I felt like I was doing something that was a positive community contribution. so switching gears from gallery sales to online sales, and having a concentration on print offerings and face masks helped me ride the storm that was the pandemic.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://milesregis.com
• Instagram: @milesregis
• Facebook: milesregis
• Linkedin: milesregis
• Twitter: artofmilesregis
• Youtube: milesregis

Image Credits

Max Elram (all photos)
James P Cant (last photo only)