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

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Ego - Print
Shelby Little Painting
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Shelby Little
Nightwork
Spencer Schulz Painting
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Spencer Schulz
Bring Back Louisiana
Vergie Banks Painting
LAFAYETTE
Vergie Banks
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Darlene Langendonk
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Alanna Ali Painting
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Alanna Ali
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Virginia Candler Painting
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Virginia Candler
Dragonfly Sky
Matty Whitcomb Painting
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Matty Whitcomb
Orchestra
Tony Hollums Painting
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Tony Hollums
I’ll Have Raspberries, Please.
Cathie Stuckey Painting
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Cathie Stuckey
Delight
Natalie Acquistapace Painting
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La Mer
Charissa Owens Painting
ALEXANDRIA
Charissa Owens
Edison
Brent Houzenga Painting
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Brent Houzenga
Temperatures Rising #17
claire gowdy Painting
BATON ROUGE, LA
claire gowdy
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Anne McLeod Painting
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Anne McLeod
Rhapsody 2
Sadako Lewis Painting
DIAMONDHEAD
Sadako Lewis
Let’s Have Brunch When This is All Over
Nancy Lassen Painting
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Nancy Lassen
New Orleans Restaurant's
Connie Kittok Painting
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Connie Kittok
Ghost Ship
Charles Hoffacker Painting
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Charles Hoffacker
"Trapped"
RANNIE HOWARD Painting
LOS ANGELES/KENNER
RANNIE HOWARD
Saint of Lost Causes
Sean Randall Painting
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Sean Randall
Festival des Acadiens
Devin De Wulf Folk / Outsider Art / Painting / Photography
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Devin De Wulf
Swamp Creatures
Morgan Allain Painting
LAKE CHARLES
Morgan Allain
Nelumbo
Danielle Keys Painting
NEW ORLEANS
Danielle Keys
Oak Tree (Red)
Connor McManus Mixed Media / Painting
NEW ORLEANS
Connor McManus
Transfiguration in Blue
Kate R. Hanrahan Painting
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Kate R. Hanrahan
Bring Back Louisiana
Leah Morace Painting
ALEXANDRIA
Leah Morace
May 2024 Garden Blooms
Stephen Rooney Painting
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Stephen Rooney
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Mary Singleton Painting
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Mary Singleton
Find Yourself There
Maggie Jones Boudreaux Painting
RUSTON
Maggie Jones Boudreaux
seen
Jessica Strahan JHand Paints
Painting
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Jessica Strahan
My people were fair and had sky in their hair
Johnny King Painting
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Johnny King
Magnolia Madame II
Rayne Bories Painting
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Rayne Bories
A Minute To Himself
Emre Karaoglu Painting
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Emre Karaoglu
Wild Ferns, No 1
Rebecca Birtel Madura Painting
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Rebecca Birtel Madura
Bird Watching
Ember Soberman Painting / Mixed Media
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Ember Soberman
"Louisiana Hussy II"
Caroline Youngblood Painting
MONROE
Caroline Youngblood
You Denied My Existence - James Baldwin
Jason Van Pelt Painting
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Jason Van Pelt
Tylor and His Dog Lemon
Paige DeVries Painting
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Paige DeVries
A Magical St. Charles Day
Camille Barnes Visionary Design LLC
Painting
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Camille Barnes
"Jacob's Ladder (Marie Laveau Visits Her Tomb)"
John Turner Painting
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John Turner
Untitled 002
Gabrielle Tolliver Painting
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Gabrielle Tolliver
ADORNED III
Lori Sperier Mixed Media / Painting
COVINGTON
Lori Sperier
Bayou Diminuendo
Emory Nolan Painting
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Emory Nolan
Temperance (XIV)
Margaux Hymel Art by Gaux Gaux
Painting
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Margaux Hymel
"Birds of a Feather: Cockatoo"
Stephanie Reed Painting
NEW ORLEANS
Stephanie Reed
The Promise
Mary Scinto Painting
NEW ORLEANS
Mary Scinto
The Golden Boat
Lee Morais Painting
NEW ORLEANS
Lee Morais
TRANS/GAZA/SYSTEMIC/WOKE
David Lang Painting
NEW ORLEANS
David Lang
Wet Bread
Thomas Deaton Painting
NEW ORLEANS
Thomas Deaton
Kindred Spirits
Ron Smith Painting
SHREVEPORT
Ron Smith
Waiter/Waitress
Alexandra Kilburn Illustration / Painting
NEW ORLEANS
Alexandra Kilburn
Angels of the savannah
Amzie Adams Painting
MARIGNY
Amzie Adams
RedBean the Crawfish for Bring Back Louisiana
Adam Sambola Painting
SLIDELL
Adam Sambola
Infinite Sadness
Jeremy Paten Mixed Media / Painting
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Jeremy Paten
Orgullo
MILAGROS Collective Painting
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MILAGROS Collective
Awaken I
Matt Litchliter Mixed Media / Painting
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Matt Litchliter
Terrance Strikes a Pose on Lafitte Street
Drew Cooke Mixed Media / Painting
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Drew Cooke
Backboard for "NOLA has Wiiings"
BE3K . Painting
NEW ORLEANS
BE3K .
Banana flower 2
Katie Kut Painting
NEW ORLEANS
Katie Kut
Blue Roots 1
Emma Fick Painting
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Emma Fick
Heron in the Mist Original Painting
Lorin Vieira Painting
BATON ROUGE
Lorin Vieira
Get the Shot! (Nutria)
Michael Slage Painting
HOUMA
Michael Slage
The Neighborhood
Ella Albrecht Painting
NEW ORLEANS
Ella Albrecht
Meditation #6
Kristen Albrecht Mixed Media / Painting
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Kristen Albrecht
When the River Can't Wait to Reach the Ocean
Kat Ryalls Painting
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Kat Ryalls
A Snowbird's Winter
Michael Eble Painting
LAFAYETTE
Michael Eble
Festival Series
Ayodele Owolabi Painting
JEFFERSON
Ayodele Owolabi
Theater of The Street
Ben Hamburger Painting
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Ben Hamburger
Masked Bricks
Queen Hope Parker Queen Hope Poetic Art
Painting
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Queen Hope Parker
Soft Serve at the Billy Goat Hole
Saegan Swanson Painting
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Saegan Swanson
Clouds Uplifting
Daryl D. Johnson Painting
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Daryl D. Johnson
PIGGY BACK
Roz LeCompte Painting
BROUSSARD
Roz LeCompte
Encounter
Malak Morgan Painting
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Malak Morgan
Flowers from my Daughter - Print
Nancy Rowe Painting
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Nancy Rowe
Land Before Time II
Leroy Miranda Jr. Painting
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Leroy Miranda Jr.
Off the porch
Patrick Henry Victory Arts
Painting
SLIDELL
Patrick Henry
Bubbles at Brunch - Fine Art PRINT
Kristy Oustalet Duke Painting
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Kristy Oustalet Duke
Ceramic Vanity Tray
Emily Lovejoy Painting
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Emily Lovejoy
Past Life
Jessie Chappuis Painting
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Jessie Chappuis
Golden Hour
Anne Blenker Painting
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Anne Blenker
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
Reflections 3
Antonio Ferachi Painting
PLAQUEMINE
Antonio Ferachi
"Snake Charmer"
Isabel Perez Gomez Painting
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Isabel Perez Gomez
Harley Baby
Rise Delmar Ochsner Painting
NEW ORLEANS
Rise Delmar Ochsner
Dr. John
Toné Lowe Painting
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Toné Lowe
I Wish I Knew
Catherine Walker Painting
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Catherine Walker
Rose'
Brett Henderson Painting
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Brett Henderson
Bakery Village House Portrait
Hayley Roussel Painting
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Hayley Roussel
French Quarter Stroll
Lyla Clayre Illustration / Painting
NEW ORLEANS
Lyla Clayre
Day Dreaming
Debbie Boyd Painting
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Debbie Boyd
The Homecoming
Cheryl Anne Grace Painting
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Cheryl Anne Grace
Plated Oyster
Sarah Nelson Sarah Nelson Fine Art
Painting
NEW ORLEANS
Sarah Nelson
persimmons on a blue tile
Jacques Soulas Painting
NEW ORLEANS
Jacques Soulas
Portals to Anywhere
Katie Yaquinto Painting
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Katie Yaquinto
Bring Back Louisiana
Vitus Shell Mixed Media / Painting
MONROE
Vitus Shell
Blown
Sean Clark Painting
NEW ORLEANS
Sean Clark
Marsh Island
Jata Craighill Painting
GULF COAST
Jata Craighill
A New Idea
Carolyn Busenlener Painting
PEARLINGTON
Carolyn Busenlener
The Steppers (Step x Step)
Ceaux . Ceaux Artwork
Painting
NEW ORLEANS
Ceaux .
Le Bon Temp Roule
Nurhan Gokturk Illustration / Painting
NEW ORLEANS
Nurhan Gokturk
Gator Hunters
Cassidy Breaux Painting
Cassidy Breaux
Rain
Tony Nozero Painting
BYWATER
Tony Nozero
"Three Visions of a Secret" homage to Jaco and Toots
George McClements Painting
NEW ORLEANS
George McClements
Red Cloud 12.01
George Dolgy Painting
NEW ORLEANS
George Dolgy
Don't Lose Sight
Kris Muntan Painting
NORTHSHORE
Kris Muntan
Otis
Lucille Anderson Lucille Blues
Painting
NEW ORLEANS
Lucille Anderson
Place in The Middle
Emily Pullin Painting
RUSTON
Emily Pullin
Days Like This II
Cierra English Painting
BATON ROUGE
Cierra English
Kermit Ruffins : BBQ swinger
Gabriel Flowers New Orleans Paint and Design
Painting
NEW ORLEANS
Gabriel Flowers
Emotional Fury #2
Donald Fontenot Painting
MANDEVILLE
Donald Fontenot
'You Know What the Ocean Is?' Fine Art Print
Heather Bird Harris Painting
NEW ORLEANS
Heather Bird Harris
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