Artists That Inspire

Just a few of my favorite contemporary artists right now. From vibrant landscapes to graphic, textural canvases — here’s what I have my eye on. 

Johnny Abrahams 

How do shapes instill meaning? I’m not sure myself but Johnny Abrahams is on a quest to find out through his expressionism works that are loaded with color, texture, and shapes. He describes his work as “influenced by their balance and refinement”. 

Yagazie Emezi 

Yagazie Emezi’s close-up of ‘The Emperor’ from his series ‘Another Tale by Moonlight’, is described by him as “a photographic re-imagination of European fairy tales that juxtaposes historical, cultural, environmental and contemporary socio-political realities of Nigeria.” I love studying the closeups of this piece to find every details. 

Morten Lasskogen 

Morten Lasskogen’s work feels like a dreamscape you can’t quite wake up from (and don’t know if you want to). His colors are saturated, bold, and make it difficult to look away. The longer I look at each piece, the more my eye discovers. 

More artists, designers, and creatives that inspire coming soon to Shawn’s World. 

Objects of my Affection

Explorations, Art, and Design 

These are my experiences discovering unique spaces, personal design, destinations, and art. Here’s what’s captivated me so far in 2023 – organic lighting, wabi-sabi sensibilities, textural treatments, and maximalist moments.

Art with movement 

I was fortunate to attend Untitled Art Fair this past Miami Art Week and discover Ana María Rueda – a Colombian artist who has worked extensively with video installations, painting, and sculpture. Her work feels organic, emotional, and authentic – I selected a piece entitled Astro Metaforico #2, which now hangs in an entryway of my home . Further explorations from this piece to come in a future post, one of my favorite pieces right now. 

Organic lighting 

I fell in love with these free form lighting installations by John Pomp. They remind me of natural elements – like foraged mushrooms – and the smoke-hued glass is so soothing.

Wabi-sabi 

The ancient Japenese philosophy of wabi-sabi is finding the beauty in imperfections … mixing the old with new, ‘high end’ with the ‘low end’ (as if there is such a thing), and restoring pieces that others may have discarded or declared as trash. The art of wabi-sabi continuously inspires me to look beyond surfaces and appearances and find the beauty hiding beneath. 

Maximalist Moments

In my opinion, more is more. I’m constantly inspired by eclectic designers like Patrick Mele and Michelle Nussbaumer — who don’t shy away from playful prints and statement pieces. Textures, patterns, colors, and how they all work together drive my design discovery.

Textural wallpaper and stone 

The details make the difference. From hand painted wallpaper to unique, textural wall treatments begging to be touched, I’m exploring all the possibilities of surface treatments this year.