Mookntaka

Artbean collaborates with talented artists, showcasing their work in installations and selling unique merchandise they create through our collaborations. You will see their works showcased on our exhibition wall, sold on our shelves, and even reflected in the offerings on our menu.  Artbean is now proud to exhibit the work of Mookntaka.  Karyn Lao and Mark Zlotsky, the artistic duo of Mookntaka, have created an immersive world through mediums like illustration and tactile sculpture, where engaging with their art via touch and play is encouraged!  Their work is a reminder to us all to lean-in to those moments of child-like play and nostalgia.  So, come visit Artbean and experience the exuberance that is Mookntaka!  You may just come away with a newfound commitment to seek the moments of joy that can occur even in the most unexpected of places.

The Origins & The Artistic Training

The art of Mookntaka is a smile.  Really, it is art exemplifying quite a joyous cause and effect relationship, for consuming Mookntaka’s work will, quite simply, result in smiling.  For New Jersey natives Karyn Lao and Mark Zlotsky, the married artistic duo compromising Mookntaka, it seems adorably fitting that their moniker is a blend of the nicknames given to them by their two year-old niece.  Not only does this add a substantial cute-quotient to the story of Mookntaka, but, as Mark reflects, it tracks.  “The origins of our name really do capture the lens we want to bring to our work.

“Although we met in art class in high school, we didn’t collaborate until about five years ago while working on our first inflatables, The Four Wise Cattle,” shared Mark.  Yet, art remained at the crux of their relationship.  Karyn continued, “Mark was already living in Park Slope when I returned to New Jersey after graduating from college.  I did a residency at The Textile Art Center; and, I was able to get a real feel for New York City.  I knew New York City was for me rather than living in New Jersey.  We’ve really made this our home.”

Home.  When you summon thoughts of it, those tangible feelings of warmth, comfort and security follow.  All feelings that inspire happiness--a feeling, of course, with that most recognizable symbol: a smile.  For Mark, those feelings of home were ones he also sought as the result of a clear reflection of his own career path.  “Karyn went to Baltimore while I went to Syracuse and studied architecture in a five-year program.  Ultimately, I knew that wasn’t where I wanted to put my energy--art was.” 

The Installation

For Mookntaka, their Artbean installation, Friends and Follies, is personal.  “There are some pieces from a past exhibition of ours that we want to continue to develop.  That past exhibition showcased the stuff that we both enjoy working on ourselves individually,” shared Karyn.  “That exhibition reminded us how our separate work is related although we don’t quite work on everything together.  We began collaborating on inflatables; and over time, we figured out new ways to represent them, which evolved into incorporating papier mache.  Our previous show was one that really showcased our individual work, as well.  It was here that we learned how our interests overlapped; and, we learned how important it is to lean into our strengths with other mediums that may feel natural for us.”  Karyn continued, sharing, “For Mark, this is illustration and woodworking; and for me, it is pompoms, fibers and glass.”  Through laughter, Karyn continued, “Sometimes, we make a piece of art and think, ‘Ok, this has to be an inflatable!’  Well, the installation at Artbean is going into the character development and world-building of these Friends and Follies to animate them.  This exhibition really is us leaning into our strengths and experimenting with these various mediums to bring our Friends and Follies to life.”  By giving an inanimate object animation--a story, an inner monologue--it is brought to life to become more relatable.

But, it’s clear that Mookntaka’s art is relatable because of their dedication to create work that’s meaningful to them.  “We are moving away from papier-mâché into other mediums like wood blocks, which we both find more intuitive,” reflects Mark.  “Karyn is in her element making pom-poms.  I’m in my element when I’m drawing!  So, we’re making these comic-like panels that we’re coining Folly Blocks, complete with illustrations mashed up within pom-poms and glass beads to give them these textural and three-dimensional qualities.”  Even listening to Mookntaka discuss their work is an exercise in causal relationships--one can’t possibly listen to them and not feel inspired to engage with their work.

And, speaking of causality, this is one artistic duo who understands that great things result from self-reflection.  As Karyn shares, “Mark and I have a tendency to put all of the things into a project!  We really have to remind ourselves to scale back sometimes.  But, with the Artbean installation, we’re just leaning into it!  We are giving ourselves the space to experiment.”  For Mark and Karyn, part of leaning into this experimentation is the creation of new merchandise.  “It really is an extension of our practice,” Karyn continued.  We are developing a tote bag, for example, in the style of one of our inflatable sculptures.  This little tote bag will also function like an inflatable!” 

“For our Artbean installation, we’re going to bring one of our Friends and Follies characters, Archie, to Doyers street at some point during the installation.  Part of our installation will be introducing people to Mookntaka; so, we have to bring people up-to-speed about who we are and what we do,” shares Mark, with a joyful sense of pragmatism.  With a reflective pause, Mark added, “Ultimately, we want to make things that people can play with.  It’s one thing to create art that evokes feelings of being playful…”  And, with fervent completion of his sentence, Karyn added, “It’s just hard to see something playful, but then get up close to it and be told you can’t touch it.  We want to make art that people can touch and play with!  At the core of our practice is that these inflatable characters, Friends and Follies, can pop-up anywhere.  We like to create these moments of unexpected play and gathering.” 

The Process & The Inspiration

For artists who seek to inspire play, it is precisely here from which Mookntaka receives their greatest inspiration.  “Seeing children’s drawings and observing anyone who is playing inspires us to think of different ways people can interact with our work,” reflects Karyn.  “Personally, I really like sculpting pom-poms.  That object is a metaphor for community.  It’s a bunch of different threads held together by this one common, and very strong, thread in the middle.  We are all connected; and, teaching really reminds me of this.  Seeing those ‘a-ha’ moments people get from exploring that curiosity inspires me because sometimes adults really just need that permission to play, you know?” 

And, there’s no adult reading this who doesn’t know.  Karyn continued, stating, “We like creating playful experiences that bring people together.  Often, an adult will approach us upon seeing our work and say, ‘I’m sure kids have so much fun with your stuff!’  They’re always surprised when I say it’s for them to enjoy, too.  Kids know how to play.  Sometimes, adults need a little reminder that it’s okay to play and explore.”

In a similar fashion, Mark also finds his inspiration in the past.  “Something that inspires me now that also inspired me back in my architecture days are those elements that appear as mistakes that exist around us.  This is sometimes the result of what one may consider a misinterpretation when someone is trying to replicate something.  But, giving someone permission to figure out the way things can come together can create new and unusual interactions.  If you think about classical Roman details within the setting of a suburban house, for example, it may look funny, yet simultaneously be exciting to see in this new setting.  I try to channel these feelings into other mediums.  In architecture, I would reflect on how I could make buildings resemble characters so people could connect with them.  Now, I view the world through the lens of storytelling about the worlds of the characters I create.”  With a reflective pause, Mark added, “I’ve always wanted to make my work easy to connect to; so, the work I do is inviting people to be a part of the conversation--I want people to be in on the joke instead of being a part of something they don’t understand.”

One can’t help but be moved by Mookntaka’s inspiration as a reminder that joy and engagement don’t need to exist in juxtaposition to the world around us.  As if sealing this thought, Karyn adds, “Our work is interactive.  Literally.  We’re not trying to make people feel excluded.” 

The Medium & The Style

Growing up, Mark thought he’d pursue a career in animation.  And, while this pursuit has evolved somewhat, he excitedly shares that “I doodle a lot!  It’s like my superpower.”  Ever self-reflective, he continued, “I still have to scratch that design itch in my bones.  So, in previous shows, I’ve designed furniture--some of the pieces I made myself, some I worked with different craftspeople.”  Keen on ensuring Mark doesn’t underscore the depth of layers of his work, Karyn clarified, “He is an illustrator; and, his work is so fun and playful.” 

Similarly, the artistic path Karyn expected to take wasn’t what came into fruition.  “As a child, two-dimensional drawings were what I knew.  It wasn’t until college that I was inspired by sculpting.”  Sculptures one can only admire from a distance this is not.  Mookntaka wants you to get up close and personal with their work.  In seeing Karyn’s pom-pom sculptures at Friends and Follies, one can’t help but be inspired to touch, squish, and, you guessed it…smile.

The Evolution

For Mark and Karyn, their artistic evolution is found in their roots.  “I grew up in an artistic household,” shares Mark.  “My mom was an artist who taught me how to draw and paint.  So, I always had those artistic resources readily available.  Then, going into architecture really honed my ability to look at things through the lens of design.  Everything I made served some sort of function.”  Now, though?  With a noticeable pause and smile, Mark added, “I’ve been getting back in touch with that more playful, more illustrative side.  I’d say architecture gave me that structure in terms of the things I create and how I create them.”

“Something both Mark and me have in common is bringing inanimate objects to life,” shares Karyn.  Indeed, even the most cursory glimpse into the lively world of Friends and Follies illustrates how adept Mookntaka is at doing just that.  “I went to Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) art school, where I really began gravitating towards sculpting and ceramics.  But, growing up, two-dimensional drawings were what I knew.”  With a laugh, Karyn added, “While in my illustration classes in college, I found ways not to draw and make things three-dimensional.  I was ultimately encouraged to take fibers classes.  That’s really where I found myself.  And, it’s where I learned how to make inflatables!  Somehow, what drew me in was being able to make big things.  Big things that could be transformed by packing them up in a small bag.”  With a glance at one another, Karyn added, “The possibilities of surprising people in their everyday surroundings?  That drew me in.” 

This draw is perhaps what inspired Karyn to forge her own artistic identity.  “While taking these fibers classes, I learned how to make pom-poms!  But, there’s no Pom-Pom 101!”  Karyn gratefully added, “My professors were just so supportive of me discovering what my own interests were.  They created this really comfortable space to explore.  I try to bring that into the work that I do.” 

For Karyn, this continues to be a source of inspiration.  “Seeing people interact with the pom-poms I make--bearing witness to how this interaction conjures memories and nostalgia for people inspires me.  And, it is just so reflective of the nature of pom-poms--it really is just yarn connected by one common thread.  It brings all of the things I do, and all of the reasons why I do it into one artistic piece.” 

The Wisdom

“Everybody has a sense of creativity.  This is something we both strongly believe,” Mark shares with certainty.  “It just shows up in different ways, right?  People are creative even if they’re not artists.  Having our work be open-ended allows others to fill in their own gaps and be creative with us.  It’s so powerful to see people become aware of their own creative power through our work.  Whenever someone says, ‘oh I’m not a creative…’” they continued in unison, “We say that’s not true!”  And with certainty, Mark adds, “People believe they can’t produce creativity, but yes, they do have that capability.”  Karyn knowingly agreed, adding, “Everything is a work in progress.  We’re just showing people it’s okay to learn and grow as you go.” 

“For me personally, it’s about giving myself permission to be creative,” Mark added.  “As a kid, you make stuff because you’re curious.  As you age, you start seeing imperfections and short-comings.  I have to frequently remind myself to ignore that voice and allow myself to create the things I want to create.  Attending architecture school meant that my path was laid out for me.  But, I felt like I needed to explore my own artistic process.  Thankfully, I had a family who was supportive of this.  My dad’s a writer; my mom’s worked in the fashion industry.  They’re both immigrants from Russia who have this creativity in them.  Yet, they’ve never had the luxury of relying on their artistic practice as a career for themselves.” 

And, Mark does seem to understand the power of this very love and support.  “My parents gave me the space and the scaffolding to explore my artistic practice.  It’s something I just have to do.”  And, with an even more poignant pause, Mark added, “I’d just feel so muted otherwise.  Having the support of my family has done wonders in terms of finding my artistic voice.”

Karyn added, “Mark and I are both children of immigrants.  Though there have been times my family’s not fully understood my work, they have fully supported me.  While I had family members who were doctors and nurses, it may have been assumed I’d follow a similar path.  Yet, my mother always took me to art classes, which was a huge part of my childhood.  While in high school, Mark’s mother became my private art tutor so I could build my artist portfolio.”  She paused, continuing, “I lost my dad when I was nine; so, in some ways, I had to grow up quickly.  Much of my work is about giving my younger self a hug. The last thing my father said to me was, ‘be good to your mother and your brother.’  I am giving us permission to let the sillies out!”

With humility, Karyn added, “For a lot of people, play is a luxury and a privilege.  So, we try to encourage people to nurture doing so even in small ways.  Play is one of the first forms of communication you learn.  We want to remind people that they can still do that!”  Amazing, really.  The things that are possible when love is given without bounds. 

And therein lies it all, full-circle.  The gift of Mookntaka’s art is the immersion of joy, of all of the things that are possible before the lens of adulthood somehow jades our lenses.  But, perhaps there is something powerful to be gleaned not only from Mookntaka’s art, but from the precise journeys that have allowed it to come into fruition.  Maybe those moments of play Mookntaka seeks to create would no longer occur in unexpected places if we were all given the love and support needed to forge our most elective and uncoerced paths.

For Mookntaka, art is home.  And for the rest of us, their art is a smile--a smile that gives us permission to find our way home, too.

- Interview by Courtney Adams, @ahhcoocoo

- Photos by Maria Fe Rimach Vera, @maria.rimach