After jail, Indiana man becomes an artist known as '~Kwazar'

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Michael Martin was constantly chasing the money.

For the former tattoo artist, dealing narcotics took over his life.

He doesn't blame his upbringing in Indianapolis in the early 1990s in what he calls a 'œrough neighborhood'ť on the east side, near 31st Street and Sherman Drive.

'œWe all knew each other,'ť Martin said. 'œAs bad as it was, there were a lot of good days and good times. People watched out for each other.'ť

After an arrest in his early 30s, Martin faced charges for dealing narcotics.

'œEverything happens for a reason,'ť he said. 'œI never blamed anyone else but me. I shouldn't have been doing what I was doing.'ť

He remembers his then-10-year-old son sitting across from him in jail asking if he was going to be done with that lifestyle.

'œI think about that moment every day,'ť Martin said. 'œAnd I understood I needed something else to do. Drugs, bad choices took me from my kids. That wasn't going to happen again.'ť

While in jail, Martin would work through a new rehabilitation program and receive his GED. He kept to himself. After 17 months in jail, he was released but would spend some time on probation.

Now, at the age of 39, Martin is an up-and-coming artist in Indianapolis' art scene known as Kwazar.

'œI spent two birthdays in jail,'ť Martin said. 'œOn my next birthday, I was sitting across the table from Tamika Catchings at her tea shop talking art.'ť

Martin says Catchings is like a 'œbig sister at this point.'ť

Aside from his work inside Catchings' Tea's Me Cafe, Kwazar has art inside Lucas Oil Stadium and is currently working on a piece for Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

He painted the only George Floyd mural during the social unrest in downtown Indianapolis this past summer.

In early 2021, Martin's art was selected to sit along Monument Circle during the 2021 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.

'œThat was incredible,'ť he said. 'œThat was, like, six weeks of people seeing my name and taking pictures with my art.'ť

Martin bounces in medium from oils to aerosols. He says he enjoys the speed and color vibrancy in graffiti. He's been experimenting with painted woodcuts and even designs skateboards.

Recently, with spray paint, Martin dedicated a wall in his studio to the late rapper Earl Simmons, also known as DMX. Though, he dreams of seeing his graffiti and mural work on the outside of a building downtown.

Martin focuses his work on celebrating his Black culture. He's painted Kobe Bryant, Nipsey Hussle, Michael Jordan and Tupac Shakur, just to name a few.

'œIt's my voice,'ť Kwazar said. 'ť I learned I'm a lot louder when I'm quiet and painting.'ť

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Source: The Indianapolis Star