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 

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Gabrielle Tolliver Painting
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Gabrielle Tolliver
Wet Bread
Thomas Deaton Painting
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Ella Albrecht Painting
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Lucille Anderson Lucille Blues
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Don't Lose Sight
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Sarah Nelson Sarah Nelson Fine Art
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Sarah Nelson
Meditation #6
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Kristen Albrecht
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Donald Fontenot Painting
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Donald Fontenot
Wild Ferns, No 1
Rebecca Birtel Madura Painting
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Rebecca Birtel Madura
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Nicole Ockmond Painting
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Debbie Boyd Painting
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Kat Ryalls Painting
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Cassidy Breaux
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Caroline Youngblood Painting
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Caroline Youngblood
May 2024 Garden Blooms
Stephen Rooney Painting
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Stephen Rooney
Serenity
Anne McLeod Painting
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Anne McLeod
Nightwork
Spencer Schulz Painting
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Spencer Schulz
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Emily Lovejoy Painting
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Emily Lovejoy
Blown
Sean Clark Painting
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Ceaux . Ceaux Artwork
Painting
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Ceaux .
Soft Serve at the Billy Goat Hole
Saegan Swanson Painting
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Saegan Swanson
Nelumbo
Danielle Keys Painting
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Danielle Keys
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Morgan Allain Painting
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Court Light/Dusk Light
Ben Hamburger Painting
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Ben Hamburger
Kindred Spirits
Ron Smith Painting
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Golden Hour
Anne Blenker Painting
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Anne Blenker
Past Life
Jessie Chappuis Painting
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Jessie Chappuis
Place in The Middle
Emily Pullin Painting
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Emily Pullin
seen
Jessica Strahan JHand Paints
Painting
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Jessica Strahan
Dr. John
Toné Lowe Painting
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Toné Lowe
Magnolia Madame II
Rayne Bories Painting
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Rayne Bories
Off the porch
Patrick Henry Victory Arts
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Patrick Henry
TRANS/GAZA/SYSTEMIC/WOKE
David Lang Painting
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David Lang
Rhapsody 2
Sadako Lewis Painting
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Tylor and His Dog Lemon
Paige DeVries Painting
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Paige DeVries
I Wish I Knew
Catherine Walker Painting
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Catherine Walker
Edison
Brent Houzenga Painting
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Brent Houzenga
Indigo 7
Alanna Ali Painting
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Wildlife
Mary Singleton Painting
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Mary Singleton
persimmons on a blue tile
Jacques Soulas Painting
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Jacques Soulas
Temperatures Rising #17
claire gowdy Painting
BATON ROUGE, LA
claire gowdy
Red Cloud 12.01
George Dolgy Painting
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George Dolgy
Harley Baby
Rise Delmar Ochsner Painting
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Rise Delmar Ochsner
Orgullo
MILAGROS Collective Painting
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MILAGROS Collective
Bubbles at Brunch - Fine Art PRINT
Kristy Oustalet Duke Painting
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Kristy Oustalet Duke
My people were fair and had sky in their hair
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Johnny King
Bring Back Louisiana
Vergie Banks Painting
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Vergie Banks
Land Before Time II
Leroy Miranda Jr. Painting
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Leroy Miranda Jr.
The Golden Boat
Lee Morais Painting
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Lee Morais
PIGGY BACK
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Ego - Print
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Bring Back Louisiana
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Vitus Shell
"Birds of a Feather: Cockatoo"
Stephanie Reed Painting
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Stephanie Reed
Let’s Have Brunch When This is All Over
Nancy Lassen Painting
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Nancy Lassen
Saint of Lost Causes
Sean Randall Painting
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Sean Randall
"Jacob's Ladder (Marie Laveau Visits Her Tomb)"
John Turner Painting
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John Turner
Orchestra
Tony Hollums Painting
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Tony Hollums
Get the Shot! (Nutria)
Michael Slage Painting
HOUMA
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Virginia Candler Painting
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Virginia Candler
Flowers from my Daughter - Print
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Nancy Rowe
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Connor McManus
Clouds Uplifting
Daryl D. Johnson Painting
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Daryl D. Johnson
Louis Michot & Corey Ledet Throw Down
Max Bernardi Painting
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Max Bernardi
Le Bon Temp Roule
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Nurhan Gokturk
Reflections 3
Antonio Ferachi Painting
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"Snake Charmer"
Isabel Perez Gomez Painting
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Isabel Perez Gomez
RedBean the Crawfish for Bring Back Louisiana
Adam Sambola Painting
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Amzie Adams Painting
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Heather Bird Harris Painting
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Backboard for "NOLA has Wiiings"
BE3K . Painting
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BE3K .
Bring Back Louisiana
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A Minute To Himself
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Painting
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Find Yourself There
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ADORNED III
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Dragonfly Sky
Matty Whitcomb Painting
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Matty Whitcomb
Days Like This II
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"Trapped"
RANNIE HOWARD Painting
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RANNIE HOWARD
The Homecoming
Cheryl Anne Grace Painting
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Cheryl Anne Grace
Rain
Tony Nozero Painting
BYWATER
Tony Nozero
Temperance (XIV)
Margaux Hymel Art by Gaux Gaux
Painting
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Margaux Hymel
I’ll Have Raspberries, Please.
Cathie Stuckey Painting
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Cathie Stuckey
"Three Visions of a Secret" homage to Jaco and Toots
George McClements Painting
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George McClements
Blue Roots 1
Emma Fick Painting
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Emma Fick
Kermit Ruffins : BBQ swinger
Gabriel Flowers New Orleans Paint and Design
Painting
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Gabriel Flowers
"Brook"
Brett Henderson Painting
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Brett Henderson
Bayou Diminuendo
Emory Nolan Painting
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Emory Nolan
Bakery Village House Portrait
Hayley Roussel Painting
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Hayley Roussel
Heron in the Mist Original Painting
Lorin Vieira Painting
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Lorin Vieira
New Orleans Restaurant's
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Connie Kittok
Awaken I
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Matt Litchliter
A Snowbird's Winter
Michael Eble Painting
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Michael Eble
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Ember Soberman
Terrance Strikes a Pose on Lafitte Street
Drew Cooke Mixed Media / Painting
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Drew Cooke
Ghost Ship
Charles Hoffacker Painting
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Charles Hoffacker
A Magical St. Charles Day
Camille Barnes Visionary Design LLC
Painting
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Camille Barnes
Portals to Anywhere
Katie Yaquinto Painting
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Katie Yaquinto
The Promise
Mary Scinto Painting
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Mary Scinto
Waiter/Waitress
Alexandra Kilburn Illustration / Painting
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Alexandra Kilburn
You Denied My Existence - James Baldwin
Jason Van Pelt Painting
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Jason Van Pelt
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