Artists of #treatyoskin: Keith Magruder, the Baker’s Son

To kick off the campaign, we asked 7 of our favorite artists to share their creative interpretations of sweet treats. Today we’re featuring Keith Magruder, also known as the Baker’s Son, an artist who splits his time between Oakland and Los Angeles. Keith’s artwork offers commentary on the socio-political aspects of food, and explores how people’s relationship to food differs culturally around the world. He recently created an installation for the Museum of Ice Cream called “The Popsicle Room,” inspired by childhood memories at his grandmother’s house.

Where does your story as an artist begin?

The story of Baker’s Son, begins with me helping my mom bake in the kitchen. I grew up helping my mom and grandmother bake cakes, pies, and bread in the kitchen, so I was able to experience the joys that baked goods brought to people.

What do you hope to communicate through your work?

Baking can represent much more than what appears on the surface, so I hope my work likewise communicates a range of emotions, feelings, and socio-political commentaries through this theme of food.

What was the inspiration behind your “treat”?

That playfulness of being a kid again.

Did you ever struggle with feeling different but found a way to embrace who you are?

Growing up as an art-loving black kid in Washington, D.C. during the 90s was difficult. Other than police brutality, drugs, and violence, there was no art representing my culture and if there was, it didn’t reflect my culture in a positive light. With a lack of representation, I decided to be the person I needed to see as a child.

For more of Keith’s work —

Keith’s Instagram: @bakersson

Keith’s Website: www.bakers-son.com

We’re giving away an original painting from Keith!

On Wednesday, August 29th, we’re hosting a giveaway of “Switch Up, Change Up,” the original painting Keith created for our #treatyoskin collaboration. Follow along on Instagram for your chance to win!

Get on the list

Visit Curology.com/treatyoskin and sign up for exclusive email updates. We promise to send you only the sweet stuff (no spam!), including sneak peeks at the 2 new products we’ve got baking in the proverbial oven.

Written by

Curology Team