Kunle Martins

Born in New York, NY. Works in New York, NY.

Known as Earsnot, Martins is the founding member of the IRAK crew, a group of graffiti artists that also included Dash Snow. The group was inspired by the overwhelming amount of visual culture found in the city, from art history and contemporary art to street life and graffiti by other artists. Before segueing into fine art, as Earsnot, Martins created installations for Dover Street Market and collaborated on apparel designs with Adidas and Supreme.

Martins's dedication to portraiture is the foundation of his practice. Having left his biological home at sixteen, his continued chronicle of the faces of friends and family has served as a way to define his inner circle and strengthen his bonds with the subjects, some of whom have passed away. The source material is often the subject's driver's license or passport photo, resulting in a series of faces that stare at the audience and each other with a frank blankness. The artist's graphite drawings are rendered on found white cardboard, or sometimes two or more pieces fashioned together.

Solo Exhibitions

Group Exhibitions

CV (PDF)