Marcus Dukes II

Artist Statement

My name is Soglo. I call my art style creative abstract expressionism. My intentions in my art is to allow my soul and spirit to be expressed freely through the art. I want the viewer to possibly even be able to feel my energy just by experiencing my creations. My biggest inspiration in creating my art is one word, “CREATIVITY ''. This word is my main driving factor when it comes to the art I produce. I want to express MY creativity and vulnerability creating MY art that is authentic to who I am. I love the idea and action of creating something from nothing. Coming to a blank canvas and having no idea or no plan to what it is I am going to create. I also come to it with a child like curiosity and excitement knowing that something will be created and it will be an original Soglo creation. The art mediums I enjoy using are truly anything that can create a mark ranging from a charcoal pencil all the way to oil paint. My main go to mediums will be acrylic paint, paint sticks, oil pastels, and spray paints. I love to use my hands and fingers as well, really being deep in the creative expressive zone, entering the flow state. My process of creating my art is very intentional and I feel that it’s even spiritual because I can get into a meditative state and here I feel my intuition is guiding me to create with every mark. I don’t think too much while I am creating, I just take action. The less in my head I am the more my creativity can flow effortlessly. My biggest influence will have to be Jean-Michel Basquiat. I think once I started learning about him and his story this lit an internal flame inside of me. He showed me that there are no rules when it comes to creating art and that I have the right to express myself with freedom in my art.

Biography

Marcus Antonio Dukes II also known as Soglo or Glo, 21 years young of age. Born in Greensboro North Carolina. Emerging out of Charlotte North Carolina, where he moved to his 7th grade year alongside his mother, grandma and 2 younger brothers. Now transitioning out of the bird's nest into the big city of Atlanta. Soglo is a bright star who is destined for greatness no questions asked. His soul is truly beautiful and his energy can be felt from miles away. He is not just a painter, he is a true artist, a jack of all traits, a free spirit with many gifts and talents. Just to name a few he is a certified yoga instructor, a sound healer and musician playing the Native American flute and other sound healing instruments, he’s an athlete and also a tattoo artist. So what does Soglo even mean? Soglo by definition is the expression allowing one's soul to glow through their vessel and glow through their expressions of art and creativity. Soglo is truly a stable of raw divine creativity and self expression. Soglo has been on a true journey to claim back his creative power and he is only at the very beginning of his art career which is super exciting in itself. He has been an artist his entire life since a very young age family can recall him creating beautiful artwork, he has a special eye, a gift to look at a picture and draw it pretty much identical to the reference photo leaving family and friends amazed. Once he began to age his creative spark started to diminish and his desire and passion to create art did as well, he began to focus more on sports playing football and basketball, overall getting out of touch with his artistic gifts. Once in high school he slowly began to get back intune with his creativity and art, taking art courses all 4 years. Even still he wasn’t very passionate and didn’t take the art he was creating that seriously but it definitely was his favorite class no doubt. Twelfth grade year he decided to quit football and follow his art with tattooing, he was being called to more than just football. He went on to teach himself how to tattoo and became a full time tattoo artist getting his license. And still this creative spark was missing this ability to create something from his mind to create his art was a huge desire for him but he was scared of it. Scared of his own creativity telling himself he wasn’t creative. Just the idea of coming to a blank page and having to draw something without a reference was terrifying for him. He had some healing to do, he had to get back intune with his childlike creativity. After a while tattooing began to become lackluster and draining. His spirit was once again guiding him elsewhere, guiding him to truly create from his heart. Soglo then took a hiatus from tattooing and fell into a yoga studio where he took his yoga teacher training and became a certified yoga instructor. This experience brought so much self discovery and self expression. The desire to create his own heartfelt creative art grew stronger and he started to truly work on his creativity in his art, creating a daily creations sketchbook. He remembered one day when he was talking to his grandma about his lack of creativity and she told him to just put the pen to paper and start to move it. That’s exactly what he did, every day he made a new sketch. Starting off with a pen then beginning to use different mediums and adding more color to his creations, this was only the beginning, if you could see his sketch book you would witness the beautiful process of creative evolution. Soglo met an older lady named Marcela and she was amazed by his creative sketches, re-introducing him to abstract art. Now he is able to see and appreciate abstract art from a completely different lense. This was the 1st time someone had valued his creations like this and this sparked a flame inside of him. He began to learn more about art and he began to paint. Something that he avoided for a long time. He learned the importance of letting go, and coming to his art with a sense of curiosity and lightness. Letting go of perfection. In painting he found liberation and freedom to express, falling in love with painting and the process of creating something from nothing. His process of creating became very intimate and intuitive and meditative, creating himself as a vessel for creativity to flow through. Soglo has now tapped into a creativity that seems to be endless and effortless. His art has inspired hundreds and thousands of people on social media and he even took his art to the streets to sell inspiring people who view it. Selling lots of his artworks which was always a dream of his. Also his work has been displayed in two different art exhibitions. This was a great milestone for Soglo; it felt amazing for people to be inspired and to admire and view his work and his creations. Soglo has the potential to inspire millions and he wants to help people get more intune with their inner creativity. He has big plans to make beautiful art, sell his beautiful art, inspire the world and travel while bringing his light everywhere he goes. And he will. Soglo, allow your soul to glow freely.

“Rasta boy” 2024- Acrylic and oil pastel/ paint sticks on canvas 36x 47( without frame) 46x58( with frame)