Meet Mundae | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mundae and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mundae, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Growing up, it was always drilled into my head that art is not a viable career. For a while I believed it was true, and I neglected my passions. As I got older, though, I became more inspired by the artists who had the courage to pursue their passions. I wanted to be like them, and I still do. I admire any creative who is dedicated to perfecting their craft. I really admire passionate and genuine artists. I hope I inspire others in the same way.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I remember as a high school student, I had an art teacher who told us that artists were thieves. What could she have possibly meant by that? I wasn’t a thief, and my classmates weren’t thieves either. She explained to us that every artist takes inspiration from somewhere. There are no original ideas, and pretty much everything has already been done before. On a surface level, her message would have been interpreted as discouraging; However, it was incredibly reassuring. Every artist you look up to was once inspired by someone or something else. Every artist has taken bits and pieces of different things that makes them who they are today. Life experiences, music, the people we aspire to be, people who have hurt us— they are the sources of so many artists’ inspiration. The great thing about inspiration is that it’s so vast, and it doesn’t have to be tied to a single source. It can be changed over time, and it is so liberating to branch out and try different things. When people see my art, I hope they see that it’s okay to try, it’s okay to fail, it’s okay to experiment, and it’s okay to start over. Just recently, I changed my my alias from Cypher Cyn to Mundae. Why? Cypher Cyn had no meaning, and that’s okay. Mundae better reflects who I am as an artist right now, and that’s okay. It doesn’t have to make sense. Be courageous and create. Keep reinventing yourself.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Being around like minded individuals motivated me to take my craft more seriously. Moving out to Arlington pushed me out of my comfort zone a little, and it allowed me to discover myself more and reflect. If I hadn’t moved out, I wouldn’t have met the Football Team. Football Team Creative is a non profit organization that strives to connect creatives in Arlington. I’m still breaking out of my shell, but being around such an accepting and welcoming group of artists inspire me to push myself. I’m incredibly grateful to have met the team and I’m looking forward to working with them in the future.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsmundae/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/itsmundae

Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UC1G6nzpor1Pr1mu9vMhonOw