An internationally committed street artist, Kashink disrupts aesthetic codes and encourages us to question social norms. Her colorful works are a veritable ode to diversity. Artistik Rezo takes us to meet her.
Why the moustache?
I've been wearing it for 6 years, every day, all day, in every circumstance. Every morning I put on make-up, do my hair, get dressed, then draw that moustache. It's part of my daily ritual. I'd been wearing it for two or three years before, but only for events, live performances, live painting, vernissages or moments when I was in an "artist" role, and then I realized that in terms of identity I really found myself through this type of make-up and in this way of presenting myself to the world, which is really the opposite of what you'd expect from a woman. A moustache doesn't emphasize femininity, on the contrary, because we're encouraged to remove it, to bleach it, to be ashamed of it, as if it weren't natural, when in fact it is.
In the end, it's very easy to turn codes (the traditional two symmetrical features on a face, eyebrows or eyeliner) on their head. I find it extremely satisfying to put a grain of sand in the gears by questioning all these norms. What is femininity? It's hard to define, actually, and when we do start to define it, we often talk about seduction, about being sexy, about being attractive, as if femininity could only be defined in terms of seduction and an improved image of ourselves. It's my role as an artist to question social norms. Offering a personal and sometimes dissonant vision of the world is what art is all about.
You call into question both the feminine and masculine genders, since in your frescoes your characters are neither men nor women. Do you defend human beings in general?
I defend a certain form of intersectionality. I could make paintings of strong women like we see a lot of, and I asked myself this question a lot when I started painting. I had these questions about the representation of a female body and face with "feminine" attributes: long eyelashes, small nose, big mouth, long hair etc... when not all women have long eyelashes and a big mouth. It's just another way of formatting an image of femininity. I didn't want to stick to that idea.
It's hard to break aesthetic codes, because we're so steeped in the sexualization of the female body in all its pictorial representations. So I chose to focus solely on portraits of faces, in an attempt to deconstruct all these codes for representing femininity, by proposing something personal that goes beyond binarity and cultural origin. My characters are neither defined by a specific cultural origin, nor gendered, nor limited in their aesthetic. It's really important for me to have a hyper-broad, hyper-inclusive approach. I don't want my art to be reserved for a certain category of person.
Your office is the street, and we hear everywhere that women have to be careful when they walk alone, that it's not a place for them. How did you manage to impose yourself and evolve in this urban and masculine environment?
It took me a while to realize the impact of my decision to paint outside. I really wanted to disobey, and that was the first thing that gave me energy. I wanted to give myself the right to do things that normally I wasn't allowed to do. I didn't want to fit into the norm, into the mold, I didn't want to stay in my place. When women see that I've spent several hours/days in the street painting, they tell me that when they see my art, they realize that yes, it's possible, we too have our place here. I find that really powerful and it gives me a lot of strength, because it means that what I do is understood, whether or not you like what I do in terms of style.
What's important is also the fact that I'm going against what's expected of me as a woman in this society, in which, as we all know, if you're out on the street, you could be a potential victim of violence or harassment. We all know that, it's a given, an undeniable fact. It's not something we're taught, it's something we already experience unconsciously, and that we pass on to each other somewhat unconsciously. We're putting words to what we're experiencing, and that's really powerful. To speak is to take your place again, and that's a fundamental strength.
What do you think about women-only exhibitions? ?
That's a real question. I've taken part in purely feminine events. For example, one of the first exhibitions I took part in that marked a milestone in my artistic career was in Miami in 2013. I thought it was really cool, meeting women who were better known than me, who had made their mark on graffiti, like Martha Cooper, who was the graffiti photographer in New York in the 70s, or other painters like Lady Pink. Then, little by little, I asked myself whether it was worth staying within this kind of framework, which can be restrictive. There's a bit of a minority feel to it, whereas we're clearly not a minority, on the contrary.
The last few projects of this kind that I've been offered, I've declined. For me, it would make more sense for it to be half and half, or to mark the occasion, an exhibition in which there would be a minority of men, why not?
At the moment, we're hearing a lot about "white feminism" and "afro feminism". As someone who tries to blend all cultures and break down barriers, what do you think of this dissociation?
I think we have to remember that as white women we have certain privileges. You can have a total approach to feminism, but you still have to keep in mind that things can overlap and that if you don't know what it feels like, you can't speak out on behalf of racialized people.
I'm all for inclusion, totally, I think it's through collective strength that we'll manage to change things in depth. But I understand that black women want to talk to each other, it doesn't shock me at all, there are things you can only understand when you're a black woman. You really have to keep an open mind and tell yourself that as a white woman, you have privileges. Access to certain things is a lot easier when you're white, but intersection is essential, and it's by working together that we can move things forward in depth. Supporting each other is super important.
What are your current projects?
I continue to travel for wall commissions. I'm also working on three projects that have nothing to do with painting specifically. The first is that I'm writing a book about my experience with this moustache. I've collected a lot of anecdotes, moments I've lived through, interactions with people in all the countries where I've painted, and since I've been doing it for so long, I've got a lot to say. I add my personal reflection on how it all evolved. I also make short films, which I do for my own pleasure. I find it very satisfying to express myself in other ways, and short films allow me to explore something else artistically speaking. It will always be about the themes I already convey in my paintings. The third is music, which I've done a lot of since high school, and at one time I sang in metal bands. Now it's more electro and experimental, but it's good to reconnect with that.
At the same time, a group of girlfriends and I set up a painting group open to everyone. On March 8, we painted the big wall in front of Chez Prune on the Canal Saint-Martin. No men were invited except two trans buddies, and other guys were there to support us, which was really cool.
Interview by Emma Mercier