Josie Azuma
Josie Azuma is a classically trained painter plus self-taught abstract artist living in New Orleans, Louisiana. She started painting abstract works in 2019 after it hit her one day—She had been painting the wrong things her entire life. She felt confined by the world of realism and frozen; more often than not, unable to finish a piece of art. When Josie started experimenting with abstraction, her art work came alive; She was able to express herself—her thoughts, ideas, and feelings— in each brush stroke, collage piece, line drawn. Josie went on a journey to discover her artistic identity through a year plus of experimentation. She came out the other side with a skill set and process that she is proud of. She loves working in layers, each layer adding intrigue and meaning that are often subtly hidden in the final piece. She considers herself a mixed media artist, mostly working with acrylics, collage, pastels, and pencil.
Josie is inspired by music, the colors and culture of New Orleans, textiles, interiors, and nature. You’ll often find that her titles are either names of songs or lyrics to songs, which help bring her feelings alive while she's painting. She leaves her works open for interpretation; what was once her creation will be acquired and new meaning assigned by its new owner. However, sometimes the titles of her pieces will be little hints into the underlying meaning and mood if you can figure it out.
