Paul Lewin’s paintings are inspired by Afrofuturism, Caribbean and African folklore, nature, and sci-fi. Born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1973, he moved to the US with his family in 1977, and is now based in Oakland, CA.
“Art has been a part of my life from as far back as I can remember,” he writes on his website.
“My childhood home was filled with paintings, sculptures, and artifacts of many different cultures from around the world,” he adds. “These works, along with my love of sci-fi and fantasy art, inspired a lot of my early creativity.”
According to Lewin, he also inherited from his father the love for storytelling. “I loved listening to his stories of the old country in Jamaica while we worked. He also taught me a lot about ancient societies, science, and history.” Eventually, he began creating his own stories, with pencil and paper his first medium of choice. From there he moved to graffiti which in turn, lead him to painting.
His paintings demand attention, with his subjects looking straight forward, powerful, and enchanting. To this day, Lewin says his favorite aspect of the work is storytelling, with each of his pieces portraying a different story. “Each piece has it’s own story to tell and for different viewers, the story might change,” he writes. “I try not to interfere too much with that process. I try to let each piece evolve on it’s own.”
“I’m not always sure of the meaning behind each piece, but I’m also not too concerned about that either,” he admits. “I’m more into the process of creating. I love getting lost in the details. It can be very similar to meditation. I love the concept of the artist as the conduit. Transcribing visions onto a canvas.”
Take a closer look at some of his visions.
