We recently connected with Xavier Lamberth and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Xavier thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
My whole art journey started with a instagram story. I never thought of being an artist, I truly drew for fun but that one instagram story showed me that maybe this is the space I belong in. Three months later I quit my job and started my art journey with no true plan or even know how the business of art operates. I made my mind up and decided to jump
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Hello my name is Xavier (MASE) Lamberth.i am a visual/ tattoo artist based in Charlotte,NC. I am originally from Sedalia, NC which is a historical black town stuck between Greensboro and Burlington, NC. This environment help curate and create this artistry and style that I have now. I would always draw when I was bored or alone, and this continued into my adult life trying to find my crowd. This was my introduction to the art industry as well. It all started when I was told to get my head out of my sketch book because it deserved to be seen. So February 1st was the day I was thrown into the world and May 1st was my first day as a full time artist. So to this day I provide and artistic view into the world of southern black culture through an illustration of souls that look like people. I also provide beautiful black and grey tattoos to the Charlotte community. Becoming a full time artist has come with many obstacles such as ,finances, events, grants, and continuing to push my style. I push through these obstacles by allowing my self to face them head on with the help of others while obtaining knowledge of how to manage the upcoming obstacles I am bound to face. However, these obstacles give me the clarification that I am going on the right direction. I am also truly proud of how I have handle these obstacles and the growth of my art from beginning to now. I feel like I truly provide something new to the world with the mix of textures from fabrics, ballpoint pen, wallpaper, too spray paint. I create a feeling of southern comfort and the untold stories of proud blackness in the south. In totality I would love for the people who have never heard of me or just finding me out for the first time to look at the stories and feel welcome and warm as well as emotional and understanding of how are blackness in not just the skin color we hold but the souls we cherish.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most awarding aspect of being an artist is the ability to tell black stories. These stories are true stories from another time and place in time that I may have not have been but must be told to the world because it deserves to be shared.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
The short answer is NO. I truly enjoy creating with the intent of creating. I just enjoy the idea of letting the story or just the practice of my journey be what it is in that time or space. I live my life not looking at necessarily what is the goal in the future but what do I leave in the space or time that will no longer exist again except within the piece that was captured in the creativity of it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://speakeasy-ink.square.site
- Instagram: @speakeasyink