New York City, September 13, 2025
Who Is ‘The Watchman’? asks Natasha Gural in her latest Forbes feature on Pulpo Gallery’s exhibition of Nigerian-born, New York-based artist Móyòsóré “Móyò” Martins.
Gural describes how “yellow squiggles flow from yellow sclera, as if taking note of what the eyes have witnessed… The artist’s first name ‘Móyòsóré’ is thrice scrawled under erasure, as if the figure has taken over the canvas and displaced or absorbed its creator.”
She observes the Watchman figure as “a personal archetype, a spiritual sentinel, and a bridge between worlds” — an evolving presence in Martins’ work for over eight years, rooted in Yoruba heritage and refracted through the energy of New York City.
Renowned financier Asher Edelman calls Martins “a better painter than Basquiat,” while Michelle Edelman underscores that “for him, The Watchman isn’t just a figure… it’s a personal guide, a spiritual presence, a way of seeing and holding space.”
