ABI JOY SAMUEL

 "What if everyone, from the day they were born, had one piece of paper assigned to them, and for each experience they had, a drawing was made, one on top of the other, creating a complete visual impression of the complexity of human existence?"

Abi Joy Samuel  (b. 1993) is an expressionist figurative artist based in London, primarily working with charcoal, pastel, and oils on canvas. A journey that commenced in foster care as an infant shaped Samuel's unique perspective, sparking a lifelong exploration of the intersection between life and art, ultimately achieving a state of 'inbetweeness.' 

Drawn to spiritual and philosophical enrichment, Samuel's early twenties were marked by a transformative period in India and a 10-day silent retreat known as 'Vipassana.' The depth of the 'body scanning' process during the retreat was so profound that she returned to painting with a comprehensive understanding of human anatomy. In 2022, she resided in a temple just outside of London to experience a life of service and to study The Bhagavad Gita. 

Her fascination with the human form, perceived as a dynamic character we construct, led her to attain a BA in fashion design from the University of Westminster. A pivotal experience for Samuel was her role as the creative assistant for McQ Alexander McQueen, where she gained exclusive access to the designer's personal library of books, the same books that inspired some of his most iconic collections. Understanding the connection between his ideas and the books he sourced played a pivotal role in Samuel’s research style and her love for collecting images. 

Samuel's artistic journey has received global recognition, with her inaugural solo exhibition in 2018 capturing the attention of a New York Times art critic. She is currently working in London on the Artist-In-Residence program run by Quinn Emanuel Law Firm. March 2024 marks the debut of her solo show in the USA, coinciding with her pursuit of studies at the Royal College of Art, courtesy of a scholarship awarded for May 2024.