Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristoffer McAfee.
Kristoffer, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My parents met on the south side of Chicago (both attending public high schools) years before my father joined the Navy. 3 years later I was born in San Diego, California and would spend a number of years out there before returning back to the south side of Chicago were I was raised and attended school. I went to elementary school and high school in the Hyde Park area by the cities lake front within one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the entire city. I was always into the arts and absolutely loved drawing as a kid but it wasn’t until high school where I actively pursued my passion in the form of graffiti. As a teenager, mural art gave me a sense of rebellious and adventure that I needed to give my art a voice and space in time. I was blessed and fortunate to meet another amazing and talented artist by the name of ‘Raven’ as a teacher of mine while in high school who took me under his wing as we traveled as a group from coast to coast painting murals and learning about the arts. However, I did not fully believe in myself and my talent so when I went off to college I studied Science and Medicine but was doing it mainly out of job security and not passion. I come from a home with a lot of love and support but not a lot of resources and funds outside of what was needed so money has always been an issue for me growing up. This is what pushed me to go into the field I at first was studying but I was truly unhappy after dropping out of 3 colleges. After this, the recession of 2008 hit and I lost my job so was trying to figure out what I would do between job placements and decided to paint on my down time, not at all knowing it would lead to my life’s mission. I was fortunate enough to meet the right people and have the opportunity to travel abroad and live in Paris for a while, studying art and design on my own every day I woke up. This is where o grew my confidence as an artist and decided that I wanted to make an impact on the world as a whole with my art. I came back to the states and was blessed to get accepted to one of the best art schools in the country (SAIC) and I’m now in my last semester with plans to going to grad school for my MFA.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
My life has always been filled with obstacles and challenges but I also must say that I am one of the most blessed and lucky individuals anyone has ever met. I don’t come from a home with disposable income or college tuition waiting or credit advice or a two parent household. However, I have always had food in my stomach, always had a roof over my head, no one on my family was abusive or even smoked cigarettes or had a really bad drinking problem. My family and I have been homeless a number of times with my mother trying to raise two kids pretty much on her own while pursuing a college degree herself, but we always had family to support us. For most of my high school life I lived in Indiana because we could not afford to live in Chicago while my mother was in school. We would travel each day to Illinois from Indiana in hopes that my school would not find out and kick me out due to me not living within the city limits. Even in grammar school my mother, younger brother and I lived in a small room within my aunts’ home sleeping on a bunkbed while she was pursuing her college degree. More than anything, I believe it humbled me and gave me the opportunity to truly appreciate what I have and to not take anything for granted. My mother is my hero.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Within the recession of 2008, I developed this idea of an umbrella creative company where I could showcase all of my creations on one platform. I’ve never wanted to only be one thing or have one passion, I believe we are pluralist in nature but are forced to conform to a single lifestyle due to society and corporations taking most of one’s time/ life in the need to ‘survive’. I’ve always moved painting but I did not want to stop there. Photography, designing, 3D object making, architecture, interior design, etc, any form of self-expression that could be given to the world in the form of hope and beauty. My paintings take up most of my time, however, which I don’t have a problem with especially if someone describes me as a ‘painter’. I have no problem allowing that title to be my jumping off point to all of my other works of art and creative endeavors. What I’m most proud of as an artist is what also sets me apart from most which is the content within my work. I always have some form of social commentary within my work that speaks to people not just in my city, in my state or even in my country but from a global perspective as a whole. I speak on a large arrangement of issues such as diet, health concerns, corporate responsibility, capitalism, religion, history, injustice, misunderstandings within sub cultures, human tradition, etc. While at the same time understanding that this is still ‘art work’ in the sense that I still want it to be visually stimulating with an obsession on detail, color, composition and lines.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up I was the quiet kid that would get lost for hours drawing within my own solitude and space. I was never the type to want a lot of people around me (still don’t) however, I always found myself in the center of attention and popularity due to my art work. I didn’t speak much, a lot of time people did not know if I was a boy or a girl because I had long hair and would never say much lol. As I got a little older I realized that I am and have always been just more of an observer and listener than anything else. I like to know my surroundings and the people that are around me so I pay attention to what they say, their body language and energy; which I credit today for my ability to read people and their intentions so well today. I was a loner that always had friends but was still to myself. People often thought I was shy but I actually just had nothing to say to them and would rather just do my own thing. An anti-social in the making of you will lol. That never really changed but as I got older I soon realized that some people will take that as a weakness so I absolutely stated speaking up more the older I got. Life will test you and you have to be as prepared as humanly possible. My interests included drawing, cartoons, video games, etc…I had a pretty normal childhood but would always love time to myself and rejoice in the moments I shared with no one, I was my own best friend and it served me well as I grew older and realized that you have to first and foremost trust in yourself and your own decisions in life.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kocamomarchy.com
- Email: 1961koca@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristofferm___/
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