Taha Clayton: Remembrance, Resilience and Representation

On Season 2, Episode 4, of The Art Career Podcast, Emily McElwreath interviews artist Taha Clayton during his solo exhibition, The Cloth, curated by Will Hutnick at Troutbeck in Amenia, NY. The two explore what it means to be self-taught, maintaining dedication, and the importance of representation.

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Taha Clayton is a Brooklyn-based painter, Houston, TX born and raised in Toronto, ON. Clayton's style and aesthetic is rooted in classical practices, while his narratives juxtapose historical and futurist allusions. He creates realistic renderings, many through portraiture, to celebrate and transcend culture and legacy. His Muslim upbringing and cultural heritage shape his work in order to address mistruths of ethnic antiquity. This clash with Western perspectives is conveyed through images of empowerment rather than historically misguided portrayals of despair and strife. Whether his subjects are captured in their natural environment or composed within an imagined story, these figures embody dignity, culture and beauty. Clayton’s precise, labored, and intricate methods of realism is especially illustrated through his common use of fabric. His subjects are not only representatives, but should be seen as individuals with human stories. His work has been recently exhibited at the Wassaic Project (Wassaic, NY), the Art Renewal Center (Port Reading, NJ), and at MEAM, the Europe Museum of Modern Art (Barcelona, Spain). Clayton’s artistic journey was also documented in the award winning 2016 documentary, “Heavyweight Paint".

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/TAC today and get 10% off your first month.

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Follow Taha: @tahaclayton

Podcast host: @emilymcelwreath_art

Interview location for Episode 4: Troutbeck

Music: Chase Johnson

Editing: Zach Worden