Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Antwain Shaw-Huff. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Antwain, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?
My mission can be very tedious when involving my weekly schedule, but I have a very consistent way of documenting projects both current and upcoming. I want to make sure whatever I create has purpose and meaning, not so much of a price. That’s what makes good art, and good art lasts longer. Chasing a purpose keeps you focused on what you believe in and takes your mind off of things that don’t serve you well as an artist. Money comes and goes. My mission is to inspire people that have great doubt in their lives. I grew up with a family that didn’t believe in art because we were never introduced to it. I’m glad I can now inspire my family and loved ones to create until they own 100% of their time.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
For most of my life, I had to learn to get by without many funds, and no educational art support in my household or in school. It wasn’t until my junior year of high school that I really invested in my craft. I continued to be fascinated with art and the people it could bring together, and that caught my eye!
Growing up in Cincinnati, I often moved around with my family which would allow me to make connections in the tri-state area and city-wide. I started painting after 11th grade and knew that this is exactly what I wanted to do. I enrolled at the University of Cincinnati right after high school and started creating art and turning my name into a brand as soon as I arrived. Currently, my artist name, Paris Abstract, is doing very well and I continue to paint portraits and large-scale murals to challenge the viewer’s eye. I often create my images in a world that I would imagine as mine, with my own design of plants, animals, etc.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on NFTs. (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice
NFTs take the value away from art for a lot of galleries along with the creative process in the fine art world. I understand how quick and easy making an NFT might be but I believe it was a bad move for America overall. I can still admire and appreciate people who can be creative digitally/graphically. Graphic design is a tough pill to swallow; I know this because I studied graphic design and had a difficult time understanding Adobe Illustrator along with the new updates to the software.
Have you ever had to pivot?
If I don’t paint, I don’t eat. I had a time of pivoting when I was going through my college career. Low on funds and being on student aid with no support, it wasn’t a fun time at all. I would have to cut hair and do other irrelevant things to buy art supplies to be able to create and stay relevant. I’ve been blessed by the fact that my work speaks for itself and that people know where to come to get their artwork and murals.
Contact Info:
- Website: Paris.abstractt.com
- Instagram: parisabstracttt
- Facebook: Antwainl.huff
- Other: https://spectrumnews1.com/oh/columbus/news/2021/05/24/mural-going-up-in-response-to-palestinian-israeli-violence—
Image Credits
wayymedia