Shantell Martin Biography

Shantell Martin is a Nigerian-British visual artist known for her distinctive black-and-white, stream-of-consciousness line drawings that explore identity. She grew up in a low-income housing project in Thamesmead, London, feeling like an outsider in a predominantly white family, which shaped her artistic focus on self-discovery and embracing difference. She studied at Bexleyheath School, spent a year at Camberwell College of Arts, and graduated with honors from Central Saint Martin’s College of Art and Design in 2003.

After moving to Tokyo in 2003, Martin developed her “liveography" style, projecting live drawings synced with music in clubs. Relocating to New York in 2008, she shifted to physical drawings. She gained recognition with her first solo show, “Continuous Line," at the Black and White Gallery and her first museum exhibition, “ARE YOU YOU," at the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts. Her work has appeared at the Brooklyn Museum, Albright-Knox Art Gallery, and New York City Ballet.

Martin's art spans murals, apparel, collaborations with brands like Puma, Tiffany & Co., and Brompton Bicycles, and a 2016 performance with Kendrick Lamar at Art Basel. She choreographed KITES for Boston Ballet in 2022 and gave a TED talk, "How Drawing Can Set You Free," 2021. A 2023 Central Saint Martin's/UAL Honorary Award recipient and 2025 MBE awardee for contributions to British arts and charity, she's been an adjunct professor at NYU Tisch ITP and a fellow at Columbia's Brown Institute. 

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