Art Mediums: acrylic paint on canvas

Aramis O. Hamer is a visual artist and muralist living in Seattle. Her subject matter is inspired by spirituality, music, nature, divine femininity, and the complexities throughout the Black culture. From a very young age she loved to create, and at the age of fifteen she discovered her love for acrylic paints. With a supportive art community in the Pacific Northwest, Aramis has been able to exhibit her colorful creations at many different exhibitions in the greater Seattle area — including the Paramount Theater, Martyr Sauce Gallery, Climate Pledge Arena. In 2019, she won the Cornish College of Arts Neddy Award in the painting category. As a self-taught artist, Aramis lets the pull of her imagination be her guide. Her adventure is just beginning, and she invites others to join her on this journey. Learn more about Aramis’ work at www.aohamer.com.

“As a Black woman, my cultural identity greatly influences my art. I'm inspired by Hip Hop, Black culture, and divine femininity. I feel immense pride and love for being a Black woman. I’m acutely aware of the struggles in our community, and I find beauty in the way we are able to overcome them. I incorporate chains in my art, like the letter “V” that I painted in the Black Lives Matter mural with Vivid Matter Collective. Many of my paintings include representations of liberation by breaking these chains. Breaking free from physical, mental, and spiritual chains is a constant vein throughout my work. My newer paintings have evolved not only by expanding the circle of divinity — where Black women have historically been left out — but by breaking the loop completely to demonstrate ultimate truth.”

“My creative journey has taught me a lot about myself and my purpose here. Visuals in my paintings often come from a dream or a meditation session. When I feel uninspired to create, it’s usually because I haven’t prioritized sleep or my spiritual practices. I meditate and read a lot of metaphysical texts like The Kybalion, The Law of One, and Tao Te Ching, and even the Bible, which I think is a pretty metaphysical book if you know the symbols. I’m a student of the laws of the Universe. I’ll read a book or watch a movie, go to sleep, dream an idea, and begin a painting. That painting usually guides me to another philosophy or practice that inspires another body of work. For example, I started an astrological series of paintings which eventually led me to the Sacred Tarot. It feels like I’m on a scavenger hunt with the Universe that continues to reveal more about our existence. I identify as a channel for Source, where I’m guided to ideas that need to be painted for people to see. I’m grateful for this synergy.”

“I've been watching NFTs. Cryptocurrency is really fascinating to me. It breaks almost every mold we have around money, value, and the exchange of that value. From the perspective of the artist, I like the idea that creators can receive royalties from their artwork, if those terms are included in the smart contract. This hasn’t been readily available for visual artists. For example, artists who sell their work in auction houses, where the work has the potential to really increase in value, do not receive much (if any) of that money. I think that aspect of the blockchain can add a lot of transparency to the art world. I watch documentaries about how collectors and galleries have been scammed out of millions of dollars from frauds selling “fake” masterpieces. NFTs and smart contracts have the potential to add a traceable provenance — accurately showing the history of an artwork's origins and ownership.”

Aramis O. Hamer

Jeffrey Heiman

Hibiki Miyazaki