From 2023
Before entering the homes of the city’s elite—a recent collector is The Real Housewives of Dallas’ very own Kameron Westcott—Toni Martin’s art had a less glamorous past. “My pieces are bright and colorful, but most people really don’t know that it all comes from a dark place,” the self-taught artist says.
The hustle started early on: “When I was 8 years old, I would take my wagon and go sell clay figurines.” She carried her passion through high school, academic suspensions in college, nights sleeping on other people’s couches, and days working multiple random jobs to stay afloat. All the while, Martin found a way to hone her craft and gain the support of patrons.
Through trial and error, she developed a technique using extruded acrylic. For her “Icon” series, the forms resemble curled ribbons or the ruffles on the bottom of a dress; pieces in her “Butterfly Dreams” series are made up of masses of three-dimensional butterflies that have been hand-bent on a self-made heating device. Works of both types, which she has created over the last 15 years, are currently on display as part of her “Moxie” exhibition at the Christopher Martin Gallery.
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In 2015, Random Art Gallery presented a pop-up exhibition of Martin’s works titled “Beyond the Paint.” Proceeds from the sale of the mixed-media portraits, which represented the challenges and life stories of 12 domestic violence survivors, breast cancer survivors, and those who suffered the loss of a child, went to benefit the Genesis Women’s Shelter.
It wasn’t hard for Martin to identify with the struggles of her subjects. Her works, as vibrant as they are, often embody her own hardships. They reflect her journey through dyslexia and mental health issues, while giving form to the beauty and chaos that have become the hallmarks of her art.
This story originally appeared in the July issue of D Magazine with the headline, “Brighten the Corners.” Write to aileen.jimenez@dmagazine.com.
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