Miya Bailey

In our Culture, we as men don't show each other appreciation for each other. Either we we feel too much pride, selfishness, or disguise it in HATE. One day I had a vision of the people that impacted me the most dying/dead. Wondering if I lived longer then they did would they know how much they inspired me? I had people die on me before and I never had the chance to show them my appreciate for them,its a terrible feeling. I believe in the statement; Give them flowers while they can still smell them.

Miya Bailey is one of the many Artists in ATLANTA that inspire me, each day to achieve higher. I study Artists and their ways of self-expression. Its the gas that keep me going.



Back in 2008, I was looking through Creative Loafing and read an article about a tattoo artist/artist Co-owner of City of Ink named Miya Bailey. Reading the article I thought this dude got alot of persona, confidence, and street smarts about him in a Black-Power type of way. I found his work on his myspace page. I was very impressed.



Winter of 2008 I met Miya for the first time in person at the old Sugar Hill Club in Atlanta, where he was painting live. It was my chance to meet, arguably, an art legend. I was shocked he said he recognized my work on myspace at the time. I was humbled, he remembered my work.

For the last couple of years, I've grown an appreciation to him as an Artist and as a person. I admire his honesty on his site miyabailey.com and on his twitter page. Raw, unpredictable, Miya reflects about everything from Family to his everyday journey in Life as Artist/Tattoo Artist and a person. His honest reflections has become important to me many ways. Miya reminds me of my favorite artist Bob Marley, a Free-mind with a heart with a purpose, using his artform as his tool for change and self-expression. His boy Tuki reminds me of Peter Tosh. City of Ink crew are the Melody Makers. Soul Rebels and Duppy Conquerors in a Trenchtown Rock(ATL).

One Friday night, I got the brief chance to hang with Miya, at his Studio and at his at City of Ink. I listened to him talk about his vision for his Movie and what he's is working on. The more he talked, the more I was inspired to do something bigger and paint something deeper. Miya is a Tattoo Artist and I a Visual Artist, that have one common belief, that is to keep the Art form we do, Pure. Miya talked about the bad Tattoo artists that are ruining the Art form for a quick buck. It pains him to see bad tattoos on a person, as I do seeing bad art on the walls of Galleries and Homes.


The thing that Miya brings out in his paintings/tattoos are the deeper meanings behind them. As an emerging artist myself, I appreciate his Artistic vision. Many of us Artists stop at the surface, but real Artists go to the Soul. Miya gives a deeper meaning to Soulful Art. You could paint the prettiest painting with nothing to feel from it. Legends are made by the ability to go to the heart.

Thank you Miya for going Soulful.