We were lucky to catch up with Kareemah Scurry recently and have shared our conversation below.

Kareemah, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

I love working as an artist. I feel like I thrive more in creative environments. It’s so easy to find inspiration and beauty in the most simplistic things. Do I wish I could provide for my family based on art sales alone?, Absolutely! However, we are living in times when I feel like art isn’t as appreciated as it used to be. With the introduction of AI, it’s so much easier for consumers to get what they want instantaneously and for a fraction of the price. I pray that I find an audience that appreciates the work and effort, as well as the time and practice put into creating works of art. As opposed to someone just wanting “pretty pictures.” I sometimes think about how different things would be if I worked a regular job. I know that my purpose and my calling is to act in a creative space, so that’s where I would like to stay.

Kareemah, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Kareemah,(kuh-ree-muh) and I am a self taught visual artist. I started drawing at the age of 4, and at the time, it was something I wanted to do because I watched my father draw all the time. I just found it so fascinating how he could take a blank sheet of paper, and create a whole masterpiece. Almost as if he pulled the image from thin air.

Over the years, I experienced a lot of losses, so art got replaced with schooling and working. Anything to keep me occupied and focused on staying busy. It began to take its toll on me. I wasn’t happy, I wasn’t thriving, only existing.

I got back into art because my dad had stopped doing it. I wanted to reignite that flame in him. Instead, he insisted that I keep going with it myself. So I did. I enrolled in art schools, began learning from YouTube videos and self discipline. And that’s where I find myself today.

I had never painted before, outside of art class in high school, but I needed to know how to paint for this class in art school. So I taught myself how to paint with acrylics. I didn’t learn how to use oil paints until I started taking art classes in 2017. I had an awesome teacher, Mr. Zegert! Amazing man with incredible skill and an over abundance of knowledge in the art world.

Because of all that I’ve learned and experienced, I now specialize in portrait art. I love to blend styles, so I find that I tend to add an element of surrealism to all my pieces. When I lived in upstate NY, I had lots of tv interviews and newspaper articles written up about me, where I was referred to as “the city’s hidden gem.” My style was also coined as “fantasy feminism,” since I mainly focus on the female form. I loved it so I just stuck with it.

I feel like I go through seasons with my art. Right now, I find myself in a space where I am mostly focused on celestial art as well as afro-futurism. So I have a lot of room to create and play around, and that makes it fun for me.

In the future, I would love to be able to work with big brands like Trekkel, Gamblin, or even Crayola. My goal is to change the world one painting at a time. It may not be the work that brings change, but I pray it’s the work that sparks the flame in the person who will!

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Art is everywhere. Whether it’s recognized as art or not. It is what it is! The world needs art to survive. That may be a biased opinion on my behalf, but I stand by it. I believe that society needs to come to a place where art is recognized, acknowledged, and supported.

Artist support doesn’t always have to come in the form of monetary gains. You can support artists by sharing their work with others, petitioning for projects to beautify cities with murals and art installations, buying original pieces. PAY YOUR ARTISTS! I think people have forgotten that art truly is an investment that appreciates over time.

From the outside looking in, I can understand why people aren’t so eager to run to support. With money laundering being so prominent in the art world, it really does feel like art has become bastardized. It’s hard to tell if people even truly appreciate the craft anymore.

My mission is to change all of that.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

As a Black/Hispanic woman in the art world, I don’t feel like we are represented enough. Eurocentric features and values take precedence and are typically “the standard” of what beauty is in our society.

I however choose to show that there is beauty on the other side of that spectrum as well. Women in general are incredible works of art to me. The female form is just so beautiful and should be celebrated.

Representation truly does matter, and my goal is to highlight the beauty of the unrepresented. I want to tell our stories from our points of view. Showcase the beauty that is in the world, but not as glorified.

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