Artist Bio
Antwoine Washington was born in Pontiac, Michigan, a small city located outside of Detroit. His wife, Carlise Washington, and he has two children named Grayson and Luca. Washington received his BA in Studio Art from Southern University and A&M College, Baton Rouge, LA. As a kid he fell in love with drawing Saturday morning cartoons like Tiny Toons, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Animaniacs, to name a few. While at Southern, Washington learned more about black history and art in America, further inspiring him to continue the legacy of Harlem Renaissance artists like Romare Bearden, Elizabeth Catlett, and Jacob Lawrence. Washington decided to continue to tell stories of the black experience in America through his art. After college he moved to Cleveland, OH with his wife, and began working for the U.S. Postal Service as a mail carrier. While working as a mail carrier he began to get the burning desire to make art again, realizing his dream was to create art full-time. He eventually quit this job and began his journey pursuing a career in art. While taking this leap of faith to follow his dreams, Washington suffered a stroke in November of 2018. During his recovery, he used his art to help get through panic attacks and the numbness that he was experiencing on the right side of his body. Since surviving the stroke he continues to take advantage of all opportunities that are presented to him, having shown his work at the Cleveland Print Room in Cleveland, OH, Worthington Yards, The Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, Rooms to Let and Artist Archives of the Western Reserve. He also was commissioned to do a mural in Cleveland Public Square by Land Studios. Antwoine also started a non-profit organization called the Museum of Creative Human Art. He uses this vehicle to teach art through his graphic design courses. He currently works and lives in Cleveland, OH.
Artist Statement
My work is inspired by the black experience in America. Through drawing and painting I am focused on creating realistic story telling portraits. While creating bold colorful work showcasing the emotion of what black Americans go through on a day to day basis. The past often seems to remind us of how far we have come as a society, due to our nation’s original sin concerning racial inequalities. I have begun to tell short stories through the subjects in my artwork. While I make no attempt to change anyone’s mind on how they feel about the issues that we face in this country, I do want my creations to speak to the hearts of human beings with an open mind. Going through life as an African American man has its challenges. To bring them into my world of creativity, viewers of my work can put on my eyes and see my point of view on the subjects at hand.