A digital creator of all things we’d tend to associate with the urban scene – from back streets and factories to rappers and stern-faced graffiti style face portraits, Mongo Gushi (MG) in fact, rather surprisingly, began their lifelong passion for art with a keenness for drawing birds. ‘I remember always drawing birds’ MG tells me. ‘I was a huge fan of birds from a young age and still am, trying to recreate their form seemed like a natural thing to do. I still enjoyed drawing birds when I can, I think they’re fascinating creatures. Nevertheless, MG’s desire to generate any kind of artwork is seemingly inherent, as he says: ‘I think as soon as I could hold a crayon or pencil, I remember enjoying drawing, doodling and just making marks. I can’t remember an exact time when I started only that I always have. I also had some encouraging comments early on about what I was doing which motivated me to keep doing it.’ Unlike many artists who begin with such a passion however, MG never had a formal artistic education and continues to focus upon the place of their birth – the industriously beautiful, well for those who accept such an oxymoron, town of Port Talbot.
Located in the southern region of the ancient principality of Wales, a country that sits to the west of the United Kingdom for our international readers, lies the reasonably large coastal town of Port Talbot. I’ve been lucky enough to see much of world’s greatest sights (my grandmother left me a small chunk of her in inheritance when I was 19 – she didn’t die or anything, she just told me that she wanted ‘to be alive to see me spend it’ – a marvellous woman indeed). Yet looking across the enormous natural beach of Aberavon in Port Talbot out across the vast Swansea Bay; the mountains wrapping themselves around the sea; the cliffs of Devon protruding from the Bristol Channel from afar; the unusually balanced mix of widespread countryside and ocean; I honestly believe it to be one of the most awe-some sights on the planet (I hyphenate here as I believe the word ‘awesome’ has been grossly overused to the point that it has lost the potency of its true meaning). But all of this is only if you look to your right – what’s on the left is in fact what the area is best known for.
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