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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Otis
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Lucille Anderson
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Debbie Boyd
Marsh Island
Jata Craighill Painting
GULF COAST
Jata Craighill
The Golden Boat
Lee Morais Painting
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Lee Morais
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Heather Bird Harris Painting
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Heather Bird Harris
"Birds of a Feather: Cockatoo"
Stephanie Reed Painting
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Stephanie Reed
Tylor and His Dog Lemon
Paige DeVries Painting
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Paige DeVries
Get the Shot! (Nutria)
Michael Slage Painting
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Emory Nolan Painting
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Emory Nolan
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Ember Soberman
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Jessica Strahan JHand Paints
Painting
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Jessica Strahan
A Minute To Himself
Emre Karaoglu Painting
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Emre Karaoglu
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Matt Litchliter Mixed Media / Painting
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Matt Litchliter
Wild Ferns, No 1
Rebecca Birtel Madura Painting
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Rebecca Birtel Madura
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Toné Lowe Painting
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Toné Lowe
Encounter
Malak Morgan Painting
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Malak Morgan
Backboard for "NOLA has Wiiings"
BE3K . Painting
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BE3K .
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Cassidy Breaux Painting
Cassidy Breaux
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Painting
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Gabriel Flowers
Orchestra
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MARIGNY
Tony Hollums
persimmons on a blue tile
Jacques Soulas Painting
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Jacques Soulas
Let’s Have Brunch When This is All Over
Nancy Lassen Painting
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Nancy Lassen
Cathedral
Ayodele Owolabi Painting
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The Neighborhood
Ella Albrecht Painting
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Ella Albrecht
Bakery Village House Portrait
Hayley Roussel Painting
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Hayley Roussel
May 2024 Garden Blooms
Stephen Rooney Painting
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Stephen Rooney
Bubbles at Brunch - Fine Art PRINT
Kristy Oustalet Duke Painting
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Kristy Oustalet Duke
When the River Can't Wait to Reach the Ocean
Kat Ryalls Painting
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Kat Ryalls
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Amzie Adams Painting
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Amzie Adams
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Portals to Anywhere
Katie Yaquinto Painting
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Katie Yaquinto
Magnified Field
Alanna Ali Painting
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Alanna Ali
RedBean the Crawfish for Bring Back Louisiana
Adam Sambola Painting
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Ceramic Vanity Tray
Emily Lovejoy Painting
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Emily Lovejoy
Clouds Uplifting
Daryl D. Johnson Painting
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Daryl D. Johnson
"Snake Charmer"
Isabel Perez Gomez Painting
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Isabel Perez Gomez
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Virginia Candler Painting
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Virginia Candler
PIGGY BACK
Roz LeCompte Painting
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Soft Serve at the Billy Goat Hole
Saegan Swanson Painting
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Saegan Swanson
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Alexandra Kilburn Illustration / Painting
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Alexandra Kilburn
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Caroline Youngblood Painting
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Temperance (XIV)
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Painting
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Margaux Hymel
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Ceaux .
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Donald Fontenot Painting
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Painting
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Darlene Langendonk
A New Idea
Carolyn Busenlener Painting
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Nelumbo
Danielle Keys Painting
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Danielle Keys
Land Before Time II
Leroy Miranda Jr. Painting
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Leroy Miranda Jr.
Sign
Ben Hamburger Painting
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Ben Hamburger
Ghost Ship
Charles Hoffacker Painting
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Charles Hoffacker
The Promise
Mary Scinto Painting
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Mary Scinto
Le Bon Temp Roule
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Nurhan Gokturk
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David Lang
Don't Lose Sight
Kris Muntan Painting
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Untitled 002
Gabrielle Tolliver Painting
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Lori Sperier Mixed Media / Painting
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Louis Michot & Corey Ledet Throw Down
Max Bernardi Painting
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Max Bernardi
Song Trails
Nicole Ockmond Painting
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Nicole Ockmond
Dragonfly Sky
Matty Whitcomb Painting
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Matty Whitcomb
Transfiguration in Blue
Kate R. Hanrahan Painting
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Blown
Sean Clark Painting
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Sean Clark
Blue Roots 1
Emma Fick Painting
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Emma Fick
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claire gowdy Painting
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claire gowdy
Heron in the Mist Original Painting
Lorin Vieira Painting
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Katie Kut Painting
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Saint of Lost Causes
Sean Randall Painting
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Plated Oyster
Sarah Nelson Sarah Nelson Fine Art
Painting
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Sarah Nelson
Harley Baby
Rise Delmar Ochsner Painting
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Rise Delmar Ochsner
Orgullo
MILAGROS Collective Painting
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Magnolia Madame II
Rayne Bories Painting
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Rayne Bories
"Three Visions of a Secret" homage to Jaco and Toots
George McClements Painting
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George McClements
You Denied My Existence - James Baldwin
Jason Van Pelt Painting
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Jason Van Pelt
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Emily Pullin Painting
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I’ll Have Raspberries, Please.
Cathie Stuckey Painting
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Cathie Stuckey
Swamp Creatures
Morgan Allain Painting
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Camille Barnes Visionary Design LLC
Painting
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Camille Barnes
"Trapped"
RANNIE HOWARD Painting
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Leah Morace Painting
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Jessie Chappuis Painting
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Jessie Chappuis
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Catherine Walker Painting
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Catherine Walker
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Drew Cooke Mixed Media / Painting
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Drew Cooke
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Devin De Wulf
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Michael Eble
La Mer
Charissa Owens Painting
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Charissa Owens
Golden Hour
Anne Blenker Painting
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Anne Blenker
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Antonio Ferachi Painting
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Red Cloud 12.01
George Dolgy Painting
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George Dolgy
Find Yourself There
Maggie Jones Boudreaux Painting
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Kindred Spirits
Ron Smith Painting
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French Quarter Stroll
Lyla Clayre Illustration / Painting
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Lyla Clayre
Flowers from my Daughter - Print
Nancy Rowe Painting
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Nancy Rowe
Infinite Sadness
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Bring Back Louisiana
Vitus Shell Mixed Media / Painting
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Vitus Shell
Bring Back Louisiana
Vergie Banks Painting
LAFAYETTE
Vergie Banks
Serenity
Anne McLeod Painting
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Anne McLeod
New Orleans Restaurant's
Connie Kittok Painting
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Connie Kittok
My people were fair and had sky in their hair
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Johnny King
Nightwork
Spencer Schulz Painting
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Spencer Schulz
Days Like This II
Cierra English Painting
BATON ROUGE
Cierra English
Wet Bread
Thomas Deaton Painting
NEW ORLEANS
Thomas Deaton
Ego - Print
Shelby Little Painting
NEW ORLEANS
Shelby Little
Meditation #6
Kristen Albrecht Mixed Media / Painting
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Kristen Albrecht
Delight
Natalie Acquistapace Painting
FOLSOM
Natalie Acquistapace
Edison
Brent Houzenga Painting
NEW ORLEANS
Brent Houzenga
"Jacob's Ladder (Marie Laveau Visits Her Tomb)"
John Turner Painting
NEW ORLEANS
John Turner
Sheba
Brett Henderson Painting
NEW ORLEANS
Brett Henderson
Rhapsody 2
Sadako Lewis Painting
DIAMONDHEAD
Sadako Lewis
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