When he is not into the studio or touring with The Prodigy, he is swamping into his inner space creating a revolutionary artistic landscape, which is incarnated through paintings or sculptures. Born in Peterborough of Eastern England, to Barbadian parents, the youngest of seven children, Maxim (a.k.a. MM) has been always into arts. From a very young age his mcing and writing skills drove him all the way to endorse himself as an iconic stage persona of The Prodigy for the last three decades.
"It's all creativity. Musicians, designers they're all part of 'creatives' and it's how they express themselves. Some people make hats, clothes, jewels or do interior design and it's all part of creativity. When you are creative, you just want to release that energy of creativity in any form", he declared on an interview conducted at Vernissage TV, on behalf of his exhibiion 'Infinite Drama'.
'Infinite Drama' is Maxim's first solo exhibition in ten years (following 'LepidopTerror' from 2011) and it was originally launched in October 2022 in London.
It showcases a ramification of fictional fantasy captured through his stunning sculptures and paintings. "Abstract art is a big part of my art", he revealed, emphasizing on the different styles provided through his creations - each one of them carries its own dramatic influence.
As the official Press Release states:
'Infinite Drama' is an appropriate description for the dramatic, powerful artworks, which draw on elements of the human psyche and dramatic world events such as troubling social issues, police brutality and war. Maxim’s artworks all possess an element of drama combined with a hint of Pop Art - which is fitting for a member of a game-changing rock band who emerged on the dance music scene in the 1990s before becoming part of popular culture - who is known for his high-energy performances and explosive stage presence.
The butterfly is a recurring motif in Maxim’s artistic oeuvre, and becomes a symbol of strength, uniting nature and the inner workings of the human mind, with a series of exquisite paintings inspired by the Rorschach Test. Central to the exhibition are Maxim’s Afrofuturist sculptures inspired by ancient African masks, painted in bright colours with high-gloss reflective paint to lend them a futuristic edge. The elongated, oval faces of Maxim’s sculptures bring to mind Modigliani’s early 20th Century portraits inspired by primitivist art mixed with cubism, or Picasso’s iconic ‘Les Demoiselles d’Avignon’ (1907), which both appropriated ancient African art and sculpture for Western art. However, Maxim’s sculptures ‘Green Future X’, ‘Silver Future X’ and ‘Black Future X’, are actually associated with the Afrofuturist philosophy of a cultural aesthetic fusing science-fiction, history and fantasy in order to explore the African experience and connect those from the black diaspora with their forgotten African ancestry.
A strong ethos of promoting love and equality is also reflected in some of Maxim’s other artwork, which carries a strong sense of the toxic injustice that continues to permeate society. For example, many of his works include the ‘$’ symbol, which is pointing out the good and bad side of money. Maxim finds the phrase ‘Money is the Root of all Evil’ quite ridiculous – “It depends on how you use it. Of course, greed and selfishness can cause corruption and destruction. But so many good things can come from having money. People can be fed, clothed and opportunities created for the less fortunate.”
The Blender Gallery and Varvara Roza Galleries are proud to present ‘Infinite Drama Athens’, a solo show by prolific musician and artist, Maxim. The exhibition duration is from the 16th of September till the 4th of November 2023, whilst the much-anticipated opening will take place on Saturday the 16th of September at 20.00, at The Blender Gallery (Zisimopoulou 4, Glyfada).
Live Perfomance and the iconic ‘Balaclava Ballerina”
‘Infinite Drama Athens’ will feature ‘Balaclava Ballerina’, a collection of mixed media painting and sculptures, which Maxim describes as “a Super-Heroine in a Balaclava that carries two guns that spray rose petals over negative people which spreads positive vibes and love”. Maxim was moved to create the image after seeing a photograph in the media during the riots following the murder by a US policeman of George Floyd. He saw a female facing a group of police in riot gear and she looked so innocent and was no threat compared to the strength of the 30-40 riot police with shields and weapons that she was up against. The anti-police brutality riots in the US sowed the seed for Maxim’s sculpture ‘Balaclava Ballerina’ which is consequently the inspiration for a live performance that will take place at the opening at 21.00.
In case you would like to know what it is all about, you can take a gander to the video below from the London's exhibition and wet your appetite for the upcoming 'Athenian take over' which will take place on 16th of September till 4th November.
Join the fantasy world of Maxim and his dark, powerful, optimistic and revolutionary pieces of freedom.
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