Artist Statement
I have a broad range of subject matter I enjoy painting. My work encompasses sports illustration and still life to portraiture and landscapes. I easily get bored painting the same concept repetitively so I tend to switch the subject of my paintings often. My work has recently moved in the direction of painting Western landscapes and people. My travels to Arizona, New Mexico and internship experience painting at the National Cowboy Museum has led to me becoming fascinated by the Western culture of the Southwestern U.S. I work to capture the beauty, and scale of the plains and rocky deserts in my landscape paintings as well as the mood and story behind my Native American and cowboy portraiture. I use bright saturated colors of acrylics and oil paint to emphasize the vividness and contrast of value present in my compositions.
Biography
Andrew Akufo graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma in 2012 with a BFA in Studio Art. Andrew had previously graduated from Rose State College, where he received the Teddy Roosevelt “Bully” Arts Scholarship as well as his Associate’s degree in 2009. He has an emphasis in Painting and minor in Art History. Andrew has hosted and curated numerous exhibitions, including "Works on Paper" from the Wesley Cochran Collection, "Celebrando con Contrapunto" and the Hobbs New Media Arts Trail Exhibition, in collaboration with Santa Fe's Currents New Media Festival, among others. He is the current Executive Director of the Healdsburg Center for the Arts in Northern California, yet still remains very active exhibiting in solo, group, and juried art shows. His work has been featured in publications such as New Mexico Magazine, Persimmon Hill, Lovington LEADER, News-Sun and the Oklahoman. He also has work in permanent collections such as the National Western Heritage Cowboy Museum, Owens Arts Place Museum and the University of Central Oklahoma. Andrew has studied art in America, Italy, Hungary, and Slovenia. Represented by galleries in Oklahoma, Arizona and New Mexico, Andrew continues to work on art from his home studio apartment. .
