Josie Azuma

Artist + Josie Azuma

I’m a classically trained painter and self-taught abstract artist living in New Orleans, Louisiana. I started painting abstract works in 2019 after it hit me one day—I’ve been painting the wrong things my entire life. I felt confined by the world of realism and frozen; more often than not, unable to finish a piece of art. When I started experimenting with abstraction, my art work came alive; I was able to express myself—my thoughts, ideas, and feelings— in each brush stroke, collage piece, line drawn. I went on a journey to discover my artistic identity through a year plus of experimentation. I came out the other side with a skill set and process that I am proud of. I love working in layers, each layer adding intrigue and meaning that are often subtly hidden in the final piece. I consider myself a mixed media artist, mostly working in acrylics and collage. 

I am inspired by music, the colors and culture of New Orleans, textiles, interiors, and nature. You’ll often find that my titles are either names of songs or lyrics to songs, which help bring my feelings alive while I’m painting. I leave my works open for interpretation; what was once my creation will be acquired and new meaning assigned by its new owner. However, sometimes the titles of my pieces will be little hints into the underlying meaning and mood if you can figure it out.

My journey here has not been straightforward. I've been a creator my whole life, and started out as a painting major at The University of Alabama in 2004. A tedious Chuck Close project scared me into changing my major to Political Science. I loved painting but had no discipline at the time, and hadn’t really found my own style. I graduated with multiple credits in Fine Art and a minor in Art History. In 2008, I moved to New Orleans and attended law school, while painting on the side. I practiced law for over four years before I quit and started a wedding planning and design business, with intentions of building my art career alongside.

In 2016 my husband and I were surprised with twins, and my art career was once again placed on hold, through what turned out to be a very difficult pregnancy and few years thereafter. In 2019, I started painting again consistently and therapeutically, with a mission to figure out what kind of art made me happy and inspired. I had never given up on the idea of being a professional artist, and over time, I came to realize I was putting it off because it was the hardest route to take—figuring out who I was as a painter and putting everything out there is one of the most challenging things I’ve done.

I’m a big believer in art education, studio art classes, and group critiques, and I have continued my art education at The New Orleans Academy of Fine Arts, with classes in abstract art, color and design, and collage. 

NEW ORLEANS 

Meet the Artists

Local art is the lifeblood of our culture and communities. We source work from hundreds of painters, muralists, sculptors, metal workers, printmakers, illustrators, photographers, and textile artists, every one of whom is part of your local community.

Past Life
Jessie Chappuis Painting
NEW ORLEANS
Jessie Chappuis
"Snake Charmer"
Isabel Perez Gomez Painting
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Isabel Perez Gomez
Get the Shot! (Nutria)
Michael Slage Painting
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Michael Slage
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Ella Albrecht Painting
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Ella Albrecht
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Roz LeCompte Painting
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Roz LeCompte
Golden Hour
Anne Blenker Painting
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Anne Blenker
The Homecoming
Cheryl Anne Grace Painting
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Cheryl Anne Grace
Banana flower 2
Katie Kut Painting
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Katie Kut
Let’s Have Brunch When This is All Over
Nancy Lassen Painting
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Nancy Lassen
Reflections 3
Antonio Ferachi Painting
PLAQUEMINE
Antonio Ferachi
Backboard for "NOLA has Wiiings"
BE3K . Painting
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BE3K .
'You Know What the Ocean Is?' Fine Art Print
Heather Bird Harris Painting
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Heather Bird Harris
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Alexandra Kilburn Illustration / Painting
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Alexandra Kilburn
Theater of The Street
Ben Hamburger Painting
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Ben Hamburger
Ascending Trees
Louise Guidry Encaustic / Monotype / Painting / Printmaking
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Louise Guidry
New Orleans Restaurant's
Connie Kittok Painting
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Connie Kittok
Blown
Sean Clark Painting
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Sean Clark
persimmons on a blue tile
Jacques Soulas Painting
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Jacques Soulas
Terrance Strikes a Pose on Lafitte Street
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Drew Cooke
Magnolia Madame II
Rayne Bories Painting
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Rayne Bories
Nightwork
Spencer Schulz Painting
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Spencer Schulz
Tylor and His Dog Lemon
Paige DeVries Painting
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Paige DeVries
The Steppers (Step x Step)
Ceaux . Ceaux Artwork
Painting
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Ceaux .
Delight
Natalie Acquistapace Painting
FOLSOM
Natalie Acquistapace
"Trapped"
RANNIE HOWARD Painting
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Debbie Boyd Painting
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Debbie Boyd
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Queen Hope Parker
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Lee Morais Painting
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Lee Morais
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Lucille Anderson Lucille Blues
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Lucille Anderson
Land Before Time II
Leroy Miranda Jr. Painting
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Leroy Miranda Jr.
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Ember Soberman
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Lyla Clayre
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Jeremy Paten
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Lorin Vieira Painting
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Lorin Vieira
Serenity Series. Lillies.
Anya Lincoln Painting
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Anya Lincoln
Blue Roots 1
Emma Fick Painting
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Emma Fick
Untitled 002
Gabrielle Tolliver Painting
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Gabrielle Tolliver
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Maggie Jones Boudreaux Painting
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Leah Morace Painting
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Leah Morace
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Sadako Lewis Painting
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Daryl D. Johnson Painting
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Daryl D. Johnson
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Connor McManus
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Emily Pullin Painting
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Cathie Stuckey Painting
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Cathie Stuckey
A Snowbird's Winter
Michael Eble Painting
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Michael Eble
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Darlene Langendonk Art Impressions
Painting
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Darlene Langendonk
Dragonfly Sky
Matty Whitcomb Painting
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Matty Whitcomb
Days Like This II
Cierra English Painting
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Cierra English
TRANS/GAZA/SYSTEMIC/WOKE
David Lang Painting
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David Lang
"Birds of a Feather: Cockatoo"
Stephanie Reed Painting
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Stephanie Reed
"Ancestral REcall" homage to Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah
George McClements Painting
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George McClements
Song Trails
Nicole Ockmond Painting
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Nicole Ockmond
Ritual
Virginia Candler Painting
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Virginia Candler
Off the porch
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Painting
SLIDELL
Patrick Henry
Red Cloud 12.01
George Dolgy Painting
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George Dolgy
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Stephen Rooney
Indigo 7
Alanna Ali Painting
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Alanna Ali
"Jacob's Ladder (Marie Laveau Visits Her Tomb)"
John Turner Painting
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John Turner
Transfiguration in Blue
Kate R. Hanrahan Painting
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Kate R. Hanrahan
Emotional Fury #2
Donald Fontenot Painting
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Donald Fontenot
A Magical St. Charles Day
Camille Barnes Visionary Design LLC
Painting
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Camille Barnes
Kermit Ruffins : BBQ swinger
Gabriel Flowers New Orleans Paint and Design
Painting
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Gabriel Flowers
Bubbles at Brunch - Fine Art PRINT
Kristy Oustalet Duke Painting
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Kristy Oustalet Duke
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Kris Muntan Painting
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Kris Muntan
Le Bon Temp Roule
Nurhan Gokturk Illustration / Painting
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Nurhan Gokturk
Marsh Island
Jata Craighill Painting
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"Corrina"
Brett Henderson Painting
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Brett Henderson
Wild Ferns, No 1
Rebecca Birtel Madura Painting
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Rebecca Birtel Madura
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Anne McLeod Painting
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Anne McLeod
Saint of Lost Causes
Sean Randall Painting
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Sean Randall
Bring Back Louisiana
Vitus Shell Mixed Media / Painting
MONROE
Vitus Shell
Temperatures Rising #17
claire gowdy Painting
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claire gowdy
Nelumbo
Danielle Keys Painting
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Danielle Keys
Ego - Print
Shelby Little Painting
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Shelby Little
The Promise
Mary Scinto Painting
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Mary Scinto
Harley Baby
Rise Delmar Ochsner Painting
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Rise Delmar Ochsner
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Brent Houzenga Painting
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Brent Houzenga
Bayou Diminuendo
Emory Nolan Painting
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Emory Nolan
Flowers from my Daughter - Print
Nancy Rowe Painting
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Nancy Rowe
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Mary Singleton Painting
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Mary Singleton
Wet Bread
Thomas Deaton Painting
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Thomas Deaton
Temperance (XIV)
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Painting
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Margaux Hymel
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Katie Yaquinto Painting
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Katie Yaquinto
Ghost Ship
Charles Hoffacker Painting
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Charles Hoffacker
Soft Serve at the Billy Goat Hole
Saegan Swanson Painting
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Saegan Swanson
"Bright White Louisiana Magnolia II"
Caroline Youngblood Painting
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Caroline Youngblood
Dr. John
Toné Lowe Painting
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Toné Lowe
Orchestra
Tony Hollums Painting
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Tony Hollums
You Denied My Existence - James Baldwin
Jason Van Pelt Painting
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Jason Van Pelt
RedBean the Crawfish for Bring Back Louisiana
Adam Sambola Painting
SLIDELL
Adam Sambola
Rain
Tony Nozero Painting
BYWATER
Tony Nozero
Plated Oyster
Sarah Nelson Sarah Nelson Fine Art
Painting
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Sarah Nelson
seen
Jessica Strahan JHand Paints
Painting
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Jessica Strahan
Meditation #6
Kristen Albrecht Mixed Media / Painting
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Kristen Albrecht
My people were fair and had sky in their hair
Johnny King Painting
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Johnny King
Swamp Creatures
Morgan Allain Painting
LAKE CHARLES
Morgan Allain
Encounter
Malak Morgan Painting
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Malak Morgan
Bring Back Louisiana
Vergie Banks Painting
LAFAYETTE
Vergie Banks
“Release”
Max Bernardi Painting
NEW ORLEANS
Max Bernardi
Bakery Village House Portrait
Hayley Roussel Painting
NEW ORLEANS
Hayley Roussel
A New Idea
Carolyn Busenlener Painting
PEARLINGTON
Carolyn Busenlener
Cathedral
Ayodele Owolabi Painting
JEFFERSON
Ayodele Owolabi
Kindred Spirits
Ron Smith Painting
SHREVEPORT
Ron Smith
Festival des Acadiens
Devin De Wulf Folk / Outsider Art / Painting / Photography
NEW ORLEANS
Devin De Wulf
Orgullo
MILAGROS Collective Painting
NEW ORLEANS
MILAGROS Collective
ADORNED III
Lori Sperier Mixed Media / Painting
COVINGTON
Lori Sperier
I Wish I Knew
Catherine Walker Painting
NEW ORLEANS
Catherine Walker
Gator Hunters
Cassidy Breaux Painting
Cassidy Breaux
La Mer
Charissa Owens Painting
ALEXANDRIA
Charissa Owens
Awaken I
Matt Litchliter Mixed Media / Painting
NORTHSHORE
Matt Litchliter
Angels of the savannah
Amzie Adams Painting
MARIGNY
Amzie Adams
When the River Can't Wait to Reach the Ocean
Kat Ryalls Painting
NEW ORLEANS
Kat Ryalls
A Minute To Himself
Emre Karaoglu Painting
NEW ORLEANS
Emre Karaoglu
Ceramic Vanity Tray
Emily Lovejoy Painting
NEW ORLEANS
Emily Lovejoy
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