Today we’d like to introduce you to Khalid Thompson.

Hi Khalid , it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?

So much has happened in my life so I’m very grateful to share my story with all of you. As most of you know art is a very present power in most if not all of our lives. Art is a bridge to a more sensitive, ethereal part of our human existence. In my early childhood I experienced trauma’s and set backs that would propel me into an inward journey to find meaning and confidence in myself through art. What a journey it has been.

At the young age of seven my father was incarcerated for twelve years. My mother went from a stay at home parent to working two to sometimes three jobs to provide material security for my brother, sister and myself. We had the appearance of a middle class lifestyle which immediately changed to a working class, just above poverty situation.

It’s very important to mention this part of my life because even prior to this experience there was emotional familial instability, creating internal insecurity within and low self esteem looking for validation and confidence. These early situations laid the fertile ground where I would plant the seeds for my own destiny. Reflecting on it now I wouldn’t have it any other way because I am so proud of the man and artist I have become.

I connected with art early in life by occasionally experimenting with drawing and music, but it was much later as an adult that art gave me my life’s meaning and purpose..

It was a creative writing class my junior year in high school that gave me my first inclinations that art was a gateway for me to transcend certain personal and extra personal realities. The liberating feeling of tapping into my imaginings gave me the courage to express feelings I struggled to directly express to others.

It would lead to a life and lifestyle that centered around bohemian creativity. Where the typical, traditional and socially safe were eschewed to explore life and expression outside of those constructs.

A growing awareness of my attraction to these cultural influences help to solidify that deep within I desired to connect with others through art.

From my late teens to mid twenties the energies of the written and spoken word were my focus, yet I realized that my direction was more fringe and abstract, potentially making it more challenging to impact people from all walks of life through the literary path.

I desired most of all to have my fringe ideas expressed in a way that reached people so they could ponder other possibilities outside of the norm.

I grew up In Richmond, VA and in 2005 I moved to Washington, DC because I desired to live in a place with more cultural perspectives and influences.

My ex wife, who I was with at the time introduced me to a charismatic visual artist from the Ivory Coast (Africa) she met at a nearby cafe named Cherif Mamadou.

At my first meeting him my life changed forever.

He is such a committed visual artist and his emphasis on free expression inspired me to return to my childhood interest of drawing. I learned how to draw from tracing comics in grade school but up until that point I only drew on rare occasion.

I got a job as a bike messenger and one day downtown while I was working. I saw Cherif, his work displayed on a street corner by the cafe he worked at. He was also live painting to some great West African music. He looked so free. He shared his love for art and himself with the world whether they liked it or not, and seeing this made an impact on me completely changing my life. It was like spontaneous combustion watching the immediacy of his approach. He was dancing and painting and engaging with those onlookers who were curious. I saw my life’s dream in that moment and knew that I must take the path of the artist who understands the spiritual and energetic need for art and cultural awareness in the global community. But more importantly to use art as a means to liberate myself from the fears of others opinions about my lifestyle. To be true to myself even when others negatively criticize my path.

After a few years of drawing with a focus on developing a representational style, I realized it always felt more intimate when I explored more abstract concepts. I have never had any formal art training other than an 8th and 9th grade art class, so for me creating was about exploring my intuitive response to the world around and within me.

Seeing Cherif trust his own vision got me into feeling that my favorite creative direction was in visual abstraction because I didn’t have to think. I could just feel and make something impactful and meaningful to me.

Once I started to explore abstraction painting became the chosen path to take chances. This direction was a perfect fit for my personality, which is to be undeniably myself regardless of public opinion.

I started with oils first then moved to acrylics. Each new piece was a discovery of my creative talent and potential. It’s been a process and I’m always aware that there’s more to be expressed and more to work through. So around 2008 I completely dove into visual art with abstract art and its philosophy as my chosen focus.

I finally had found my purpose and since that point I have completely dedicated my professional life to visual art.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?

The late, great Frederick Douglass was quoted saying “Without struggle, there is no progress.” . In reality although perspective is essential, there can be no denying that life’s an ocean of positive, negative and neutral experiences. Taking a direction that is different from the mainstream majority may be admirable to some, but for those in it directly the highs can equal the lows.

One of the most challenging things about being a full time artist can be making enough consistent money to help you and your family live comfortably. I have created a lot of opportunities over the years, and I know those scenarios will continue to lead to greater ones that will help me achieve my goal of financial freedom as an artist. Yet currently one month there’s some money, and the next it can be really tight financially. I also do workshops, live painting performances and sell at markets to bring in needed income. I work with different galleries and venues to show and sell my work.

Although the media makes it look cool to be a full time artist (it is really cool), there’s a lot of romanticism that glosses over the struggles of taking on a path where one is completely dedicated to living out their own vision. You realize that for some artists and professionals, it’s about the networking, and not necessarily about the promotion of a unique vision that can expand public awareness. Rejection comes at you from different directions for different reasons. You have to learn to accept and embrace rejection and move on.

I’ve learned to allow my career in art to be flexible and learn to use as many means and strategies possible to create positive outcomes. At one time I thought you had to be in big galleries and have status. Now I realize that I want one thing. Freedom.

So I have been focusing on ways to make more money as an independent artist since ninety eight percent of my sales over my sixteen year career have come from my desire to engage my art with the public independently.

With today’s social media and my willingness to engage, I will create the life I want and connect with others who desire to support my vision.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?

I am a big fan of jazz music and its emphasis on improvisation. There’s a visual art movement that developed in New York City in the 1940’s and 1950’s called abstract expressionism, where artists were approaching their canvases with direct and immediate intention with no regard for representation. It’s about expressing the emotions of the individual and to give the viewer a glimpse into the emotional realm of the human experience. The painters of that time wanted to express like the musicians they were listening to. Artists such as Jackson Pollock and Jack Whitten inspired me the most. Musically jazz musicians such as John Coltrane, who used jazz music as a connective device to access the spiritual and mystical, have had the biggest influence on my artistic direction. I’m also a fan of the geometric, flat, colorful abstract works of artists like Virginia Jamarillo. Then there’s the culturally rich art of Jean Michel- Basquiat, which is intellectual and raw, radiant yet mysterious.

All of these artists relied heavily on improvisation and my approach embodies this spirit. From my full on gesturally expressive art to my colorfully geometric works to works of dense mixed media the approach remains the same. Allow the moment of free expression to inform me of my potential as a creative communicator.

In addition to studio work I also perform live abstract painting alongside musicians and DJ’s. I believe there’s such a rich connection between the explorations of jazz musicians and abstract expressionist painters that I wanted to work with musicians and utilize the live performative format to promote my ideas around the visual-sound relationship. This allows me to bring visual art to a larger audience because I’m helping to lift the notion of visual art being strictly an isolating, studio based experience.

Being committed to this direction has created opportunities such as being featured on the Smithsonian Channel Documentary Afrofuturism: The Origin Story, where in addition to being interviewed throughout I also performed a live painting with a jazz band. I also teach a workshop series called “Creating the Moment”, an intuitive painting workshop that encourages the healing feelings that come with non critical self expression within a group setting. I have also facilitated those workshops at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art..

Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?

In my opinion cities are just another expression of nature although they are portrayed as negatively effecting life on Earth. Since 2020 I have been living on a developing off grid homestead with my wife and son. Although I would never trade it for city life I see cities as reflective of the mechanics of the natural world and necessary for human interaction.

So I don’t possess much of a positive or negative perspective of the city. I appreciate what it has to offer when I’m there.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.khalidthompson.com
• Instagram: @khalid_thompson
• Facebook: Art of Khalid Thompson
• Other: TikTok: @khalid_thompson