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House of Mkali
Mikal Mkali
House of Mkali
Mikal Mkali
I fell in love with art as a young kid. I was fascinated by cartoons and the way artists could create entire worlds with a pencil.
In second grade, I traced a picture of a tiger by pressing it against a window so I could see the lines. When I brought it home, my mother was proud and hung it on the kitchen wall. I had told her I drew it myself, but I felt like a fraud because I knew I had traced it. That moment stayed with me.
From then on, I taught myself how to draw because I wanted to earn that feeling for real. I was determined to become a cartoonist.
In my mid-teens, I started writing lyrics. Hip-hop culture had a major influence on my upbringing, especially during a time when the genre was becoming more mainstream. I loved the flow, the rhyme schemes, the metaphors, and the way artists could turn real life into expression.
Writing became another way for me to tell my story, work through emotions, and put my thoughts into words.
In my early twenties, I created a skunk character and began building a clothing line around it.
Unfortunately, the company I was working with copyrighted my character without my knowledge. That experience was frustrating and discouraging, and it became the reason I stepped away from drawing for a while. But I still needed a creative outlet.
I started writing more—stories, poetry, comedy skits, and anything else that gave me a way to express myself. Writing kept me connected to my creativity, but I knew I wanted something more visual, too.
In 2014, I bought a camera and started taking photographs. Photography quickly became another powerful way for me to share my passions and develop my artistic vision.
My dream is to shoot high-fashion photography in unexpected places that create contrast—nature scenes, grimy alleys, and locations full of texture and character.
I want every image to be more than just a photograph.
I want it to feel like a story, create interest, and make people see beauty where they may not have expected to find it.
THE STORY BEHIND THE ARTIST


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