Oscar Joyo
Oscar Joyo (b.1992) is a Malawian born, Chicago based artist. Drawing upon the histories of Surrealism, contemporary portraiture, and Afrofuturism, Joyo creates technicolor portraits that monumentalize his subjects, projecting feelings of regality, strength, and community. The subjects in his works are often a highly manipulated composite of people, places, and experiences, as he draws from stock photos, memory, and personal photography. Rendered in acrylic, in a technicolor palette, Joyo’s paintings demand recognition, highlight the importance of taking up space, and encourage pride in being a person of color. His work layers acrylic paint and resin on wood. The recent inclusion of resin as a top layer is a means to create dimension and depth within his paintings. Oscar attributes his chromesthesia (the ability to see colors when hearing sounds) to his use of various color gradients and intergalactic color schemes. He pays homage to his Malawian heritage by his use of fun shapes and patterns that breathe life into the paintings. Through his painting process he pays homage to a shrinking memory of home and aims to preserve what is left of his memories of his childhood. In this vein, women appear often in the work, nodding to the community who raised him and a culture that prioritizes the power, knowledge, and care of women.
Originally from Malawi, Joyo incorporates recognizable African patterns and shapes into his compositions. Oscar’s love for the arts began as a young boy drawing cartoons in Malawi.
He and his passion for art traveled all the way to Chicago, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Life Drawing at The American Academy of Art in 2015. Shortly after graduating, he developed his signature technique and style of tribal patterns and vivid portraiture. Oscar is also active in the mural art scene in Chicago, having done murals for several organizations around the Midwest. He is also proficient in digital media, as he has collaborated with the NFL, Doc Martens, and Nike. His work is a love letter to his African heritage and the hope that there will be a better future for people of color. Joyo’s work has been exhibited at the VSG Contemporary (IL), Another Gallery (CO), Vertical Gallery (IL), Thinkspace Projects (CA), among others. He was an EAC United Still Grant recipient. He has been interviewed and featured in several magazines including High Fructose Magazine in 2024. Joyo was an invited keynote speaker to the 2024 Illinois Art Education Association Conference.
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