Oscar Joyo

My pieces consist of colorful and vibrant Black people of all creeds.  I distort the figures with a glitchy and futuristic approach.  The distortion represents various mental states that come with the Black experience, or at least my Black experience.  Each body of work is embellished with intricate and animated patterns.  The patterns elevate the emotions conveyed in the body language and facial expressions; however, the x’s over the eyes (my trademark) are a protective barrier.  They act as a love letter to my Black peers, saying a vision cannot be colonized.  Another quality of my body of work is the way I depict hair.  However my character is portrayed, be it stoic or animated, the hair creates movement and breathes life into the individual.  

Plants and outside life have had a huge impact on my mental state in the last year or so.  Incorporating nature and the outdoors into my work has helped me feel less stuck in my introspection, and has allowed me to get to know myself on a more vulnerable level.  I’d like to think I have a unique perspective on life and art.  My Malawian background and American upbringing have influenced my ability to convey the immigrant experience and the Black experience with nuance.  I incorporate the dichotomy of the digital and natural world into my work as a way of comprehending change and growth.