Painting Towards Possibility: Obi Agwam

4.Here for the thrill of it - Obi Agwam.jpg

5.If I listend to me I would never leave - Obi Agwam.jpg

6.Let’s enjoy the moment, till we can’t - Obi Agwam.jpg

7.You’re my favorite song - Obi Agwam.jpg

9.For the ones that left - Obi Agwam.jpg

In the hands of Obi Agwam, painting becomes an act of trust guided by curiosity, instinct, and the emotions that surface through the creative process. Rather than searching for fixed meaning, he follows what feels natural, allowing painting to emerge as a language shaped by intuition, sensitivity, and quiet observation. Drawing from conversations, films, memory, and reflection, he transforms lived experience into deeply personal visual narratives.

Shaped by growing up in New York and navigating life through the lens of Black culture, Agwam’s practice is rooted in urban experience, collective memory, and the evolving language of Black creativity. His imagined figures exist within emotional worlds where flowers and plant life appear as recurring symbols of growth, care, and resilience. Since 2023, vulnerability has become central to his work, shifting his focus toward the space between memory and feeling rather than direct representation.

In the following conversation, Agwam reflects on the emotional foundations of his practice, the influence of his environment and upbringing, and the importance of trusting his own voice over external validation. His words reveal an artist drawn not only to what is seen, but to the internal landscapes that shape how we feel, remember, and create.

“I create artwork because it feels right, I stopped asking myself for a reason beyond that, painting feels like the most natural medium for me to express myself.”
— Obi Agwam

WHAT IS YOUR WHY? WHAT DRIVES YOUR CREATIVITY?

I create artwork because it feels right, I stopped asking myself for a reason beyond that, painting feels like the most natural medium for me to express myself. I believe in exploring the natural curiosity we all have as human beings, my curiosity led me to painting and I've stayed with it since it feels right. My creativity sparks mostly from pouring into my passions outside of my discipline. Long conversations & movies especially, the range of emotional response I can have from both can be very motivating.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME AN ARTIST ?

I didn't think I was good at anything but art. I had unrestricted access to the internet from a young age, with that access I was exposed to all kinds of artists who were expressing themselves online. I thought to myself, “I could be one of those people”, but ultimately I treated this thought as a fantasy. The frivolous fantasy I entertained from time to time started to alchemize into aspiration when I made one of my first sales. The

money I got was enough for me to not work, that made me think

“oh ok I think I have something here, if I do it again I won't have to get a ‘real’ job”

WHO ARE YOUR BIGGEST ARTISTIC INFLUENCES?

Yoshitomo Nara, Kerry James Marshall ,Takahiko inoue, Claude Monet, Salmon Toor

WHAT THEMES OR EMOTIONS HAVE BEEN CONSISTENTLY SHOWING UP IN YOUR WORK RECENTLY & WHAT DO YOU WISH TO CONVEY TO THE MASSES THROUGH YOUR WORK ?

Nature has been a consistent theme within my artworks. Plants are the foundation to life and I love the connection we have to them. Just like plants we need water, sunlight,attention, and most importantly the right environment to thrive. Within nature I find that flowers are the most aesthetically pleasing, carrying cultural meanings within each species. I love including that dynamic within my works, every flower I input has intention. I also simply really enjoy painting flowers.I wish to exhibit the myriad of ways we can depict the figure, the way of painting people outside of the observational.

HOW HAS YOUR BACKGROUND OR CULTURE INFLUENCED YOUR WORK ?

My relationship with black culture and my background in New York has been the biggest influence on my work. The worlds that my characters exist in often reference urban environments, the themes I explore within my work also come from my experiences in New York and as a black person. Blackness is more often than not the root and foundation to all things popular culture, I am awe that I get to contribute and watch the spirit of black creation move through time.

**DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN THREE WORDS ?**
*Intuitive, Sensitive, Observant*

WHAT ACCOMPLISHMENT'S ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?

realizing that I am in control of my own internal narrative has to be the accomplishment that I’m most proud of. It's taken a long time for me to feel comfortable and confident within my work, along the journey I've started to convince myself that my work wasn't important. Every no that I would receive became heavy on my consciousness, this weight stopped me from creating- to the point where I thought the world would be better off without my artwork. Finding confidence in my work has been an arduous task, it's taken a lot of self convincing, positive affirmation and creating without expectation to regain faith in the work I'm doing now. This is not a fiscal goal but a spiritual one that I'll carry for as long as I continue my practice.

HOW DO YOU NAVIGATE CREATING WORK THAT FEELS BOTH DEEPLY PERSONAL AND CULTURAL COLLECTIVE?

I’m able to create deeply personal works due to my admiration for other artists. I've always been a fan of artists who selflessly share their soul in a way we feel no matter what medium. I love the instances of art where we all empathetically share an emotion to an artwork(ex. when we all can feel joy from a song’s lyrics or tune). I believe for that to happen an artist has to practice vulnerability and openness, pouring themselves into their craft. Seeing others express that openness gives me courage to do within my own artwork. If my favorite artist can do it then so can I.

WHAT'S A BREAKTHROUGH MOMENT IN YOUR JOURNEY THAT STILL MOTIVATES YOU TODAY?

I do not rely on any specific moments to be a source of motivation but one moment that I believed helped me the most was having my first solo exhibition at New Image Gallery in LosAngeles in 2021. This exhibition threw me into the “fine art world” in a way that was disarming but all the more exciting. I was making work in a vacuum and this was the first instance where my work was given a context to be in. All of a sudden I am hearing terminology I never heard of, artists I never heard of, institutions I never heard of. This show would lead me to other professionals and spaces that I would have never thought my artwork would be in conversation with. I am forever grateful for the team at New Image for giving me the platform at the time.

IF YOUR WORK COULD IMAGINE A NEW WORLD FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS, WHAT WOULD THAT WORLD LOOK AND FEEL LIKE?

I tend not to think of the future as much when I create work, thinking of the unlimited possibilities for what could be gives me anxiety so I chose to stay as present as much as I can. Ideally I would like to create a world where pursuing anything feels possible. I feel as humans all too often we bear the cross of others expectations, stopping us from really tuning into who we are and who we could be. An ideal future is one where everyone can listen to themselves without noise, without the pollution of limiting beliefs. We all have value and unlimited potential from birth, that only becomes realized when we can acknowledge our own power.

WHAT ROLE DOES VULNERABILITY PLAY IN YOUR WORK?

Vulnerability is the basis for my artistic practice. Every painting I've made since 2023 comes from my own personal emotional experiences. I started to self loath my inability to be open with others, a method I thought was most effective was journaling. Journaling helped me become more open within myself but not with others, so I thought the best way to do that is within my artistic practice. The subjects within my artwork are entirely imaginary, but their origins come from my emotional reflections and memories of others. When remembering things our emotions tend to fill the gaps where our memory lacks, I make work that focuses on that emotional gap.

IS THERE A PARTICULAR WORK THAT FEELS ESPECIALLY PERSONAL OR TRANSFORMATIVE TO YOU?

There's not a specific artwork that feels more personal or of note. Every artwork I create I try to be more open. I really enjoy “Whats left of my Dawgs” , a painting I made in 2024. In that artwork there was a feeling of solitude and apathy that I was reflecting on. I enjoy looking at the main subject and I enjoy the feeling the painting gives me, it feels almost cinematic to me.