Local Figures: Mu

By: Jordan Neal

Originally published October 24, 2016, by Plasma Magazine 

Photo by Urban Jordan

The Florida-born, Riverdale raised artist known simply as Mu is a local enigma. His work is filled with the details of his upbringing and murky past. His talent, on the other hand, is natural. Coming from an artistic background Mu has taken the gifts passed down to him from his art educator and mother and used them to tell a story that is only personal to him. His illustrations feature dark and sometimes grotesque caricatures of his surroundings that are hauntingly reminiscent of the world today. The dark quality of his work by no means removes the intrinsic beauty of its honesty. Refreshing and original are words that describe his overall aesthetic. 

Mu carries himself with pride and confidence, but those qualities are tempered with an acquired wisdom that only arises from experience; the experience of a challenged past. Mu admits that he has made some mistakes but he will not allow those mistakes to determine his future. He has been creating these abstracted figments of reality his entire life. Recently he decided to devote his energy to doing what he loves. Mu illuminates a brighter future for himself through the medium of art by force of passion. Although he doesn’t vibe with most of Atlanta’s social elite he still manages to find his place and stay grounded through all of the attention he has obtained thus far.  

Mu is a true artist in all aspects of the word. He isn’t creating for the sake of fame or money. He creates because this is something that he has always done. This is his purpose for the time being and he seems just fine with that.

Be sure to check out his work on Instagram @RIPMU and check out his latest musical release on Soundcloud here.