Four Obsessions with Oyinda, the New York Singer Making Warped R&B
The London-raised, New York–based singer writes pulsing songs that careen between R&B and electronica. She adores her cats, Yukine and Akira; has recently taken up Japanese clay-pot cooking; and is now crafting lyrics inspired by the works of Kerry James Marshall.
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“For the new mixtape I’m working on, I’ve been writing a lot about Kerry James Marshall. So many of his paintings have inspired me: ‘The Ecstasy of Communion,’ ‘Black Artist (Studio View),’ ‘Stigma Stigmata,’ that Cheshire cat smile in ‘A Portrait of the Artist as a Shadow of His Former Self.’ I watched this talk he did at the Met, where he said that ‘Black is chromatic.’ That simple phrase is how I’ve felt my whole life, and it’s what I now want to portray in my mixtapes.”
“It’s so rare for me to find jeans that are long enough for my legs, but I never have a problem with Eckhaus Latta or Telfar. I was with Telfar [Clemens] last night, and I just snagged a piece from his studio. I love him. He has this wave of ease about him because he’s so genuine and makes sure to keep himself surrounded by unique people.”
“I always change the rings on my right middle-finger for every project. My current ring is a fossil, which really speaks to the mixtape itself and for exploring my authentic inner self. I never know my stones. I just pick rings and feel them in my hand—feel how they feel. I’ll see how I settle with them, and they will tell me about themselves. And then, I forget. It’s never something super sentimental.”
“In my private life, I’ve become a bit of a yogi cat lady—everything is studio, cartoons, Netflix, and cats. I have a donabe rice cooker at home, and I make a mean matcha steam cake.”
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Hair: Susan Oludele using Hair by Susy
Makeup: Yumi Lee using Nars Cosmetics
Set Design: Ian Salter at FRANK REPS
Digital Technician: Matthew Shrier
Photography Assistant: Cameron Kelly
Fashion Assistant: Ian Mcrae
Hair Assistant: Chinna Njoku
Manicure: Juan Alvear
Set Assistant: Adam Fisher
Post-Production: Abby harrison
Special Thanks:@smashboxstudios
