Work samples
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Composition #2.. i sat still to listen and watch the world turned from within
Acrylic on Canvas
46" x 36"
$4,200
Available for Purchaseemail: [email protected]
website: josefisaiahk.com
About Josef
Josef Isaiah Keyes, originally from Washington, D.C., and now residing in Baltimore, Maryland, draws inspiration from introspection. His abstract mixed-media artworks delve into themes such as representation, self-discovery, and the intricate connection between the mind, body, and soul. Josef Isaiah has made significant strides in contemporary art by participating in numerous group exhibitions. His debut solo exhibition in 2023 at Foundry Gallery in the heart of Washington, D.C., was a… more
Can They Hear Me Now...
For as long as I can remember, my comfort embraced the quiet. Throughout my childhood, an illness in my throat prevented me from verbally expressing myself confidently. It was as if I had to force every word out with excruciating effort. One sentence would leave me out of breath and frustrated. As a result, depression always had a looming presence in my life. Dealing with this made me withdraw deep within myself. Constantly seeking ways to express my thoughts, feelings, and dreams; I sort alternative channels to convey these elements within my life. When my body started to heal itself, I discovered the enchanting and expressive world of art, or perhaps it discovered me.
Like a harmonious dance, art and I intertwined. With my natural gift of imagination as a guiding light, I embarked on a path of self-discovery, with art as my documentation. My lifestyle became a bold but subtle statement of ‘I’m here’. The inspiration that I started to investigate, the artists of the past, and their abstract work left me with the possibility of creating my own language. The often loud, powerful, and vibrant work that I came across birthed new energy within me. So, I started to paint, capturing the vivid hues of my imagination, pouring this language of stories, and lessons onto my own canvases. Each brushstroke became a revelation, a glimpse into the depths of my soul that words could never quite express early on in my life and still to this day.
“Can They Hear Me Now…” was first started in 2017, and is the manifestation of the inspiration I’ve gained through searching and listening to all kinds of artists and scholars throughout my life. Abstraction was the language I gravitated towards; its imaginative possibilities caught my interest early on in my career. During my first years of working, I didn’t see many artists that looked like me whose work I really enjoyed. So, I started to create what I wanted to see and feel through my work. I needed my work to speak. And this work was that effort.
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a moment to reflectAvailable for Purchase
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and the sun, the magnificent... suggested i take in its light...Available for Purchase
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becoming one live sunAvailable for Purchase
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Composition #2... i watched as the world turn from within/ i felt the earth; so i sat..Available for Purchase
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Composition #3 (Downtown)Available for Purchase
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Composition #4 / Sunday Morning (Uptown)Available for Purchase
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i sat still in hopes that it help my wings grow... so that i could really be fly...Available for Purchase
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meditation dance/ symphony… let it twist and turn like mind... or like lovers...Available for Purchase
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ribbon in the seaAvailable for Purchase
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the odyssey begins, as i sit with the lessons and scriptures..