Today we’d like to introduce you to Omari Jesse.
Hi Omari , so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’ve been drawn to art and self-expression from a young age, initially through performance before gradually shifting my focus toward visual art. I became interested in creating images that could capture my experiences, objects and stories that could exist beyond me and hopefully outlive me. I earned my fine art degree from Virginia State University and later studied abroad at the University of Johannesburg.
After returning to my hometown of Washington, D.C., I began immersing myself in the local art scene, attending exhibitions and becoming more introspective about the imagery I was creating. I wanted my work to reflect the experiences of my community while also exploring my own identity and perspective. I began primarily as a painter, but about two years ago, I transitioned into collage. That shift opened up an entirely new creative language for me and allowed my storytelling to become more layered and expansive.
Alongside my art practice, I also started Cuuurryout, a clothing line that serves as a love letter to Washington, D.C. while allowing me to explore my long-standing interest in fashion and design. Both my artwork and Cuuurryout are rooted in storytelling, culture, memory, and my relationship with the city I call home.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Absolutely not. Pursuing art requires a level of vulnerability, courage, and persistence. For me, I want my work to serve as my contribution to society, which means being open to how others may connect with and interpret it. Along the way, I’ve had to unpack my own story, find clarity in my direction, navigate financial obstacles, and create opportunities for myself and none of that has been easy.
But when you’re committed and convicted in your journey, eventually the tides begin to turn. I’ve been fortunate enough to stay the course long enough to experience both sides of that coin. I’m currently in a season where I’m still refining and building things within my practice that mean a lot to me, but I’m also learning to shift my mindset from simply chasing opportunities to calling them toward me,whether that’s greater visibility, financial growth, meaningful commissions, or new creative opportunities. Stay the course.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
’m a multidisciplinary artist working primarily across collage and painting. At the heart of my practice is an interest in the quiet, often overlooked moments that make people who they are the gestures, environments, relationships, and memories that shape us. I’m especially interested in how personal experiences intersect with race, culture, and urban life, and how those things influence the way we see ourselves and one another.
Over the past few years, collage has become a particularly important part of my practice. It has given me the freedom to layer photography, found imagery, abstraction, and personal references to create compositions that feel both intimate and expansive. I’m drawn to the tension between the past and present, tradition and transformation, and the personal and collective. Much of my work is rooted in Washington, D.C., and my own experiences within the city and community that shaped me.
What I’m most proud of is developing a visual language that feels genuinely personal while still creating room for others to see themselves within the work. I think what sets my practice apart is my attention to nuance. I’m interested in the details that can easily be overlooked but often hold the most meaning. Whether I’m working with a portrait, a family photograph, or an urban landscape, I want the work to feel like a moment of recognition something personal enough to feel intimate, but universal enough to create connection.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
I’m currently in an exciting new chapter of my practice. I’m preparing for my first solo exhibition while also working on a major commission for an apartment community in Washington, D.C., as well as commission work with the Black Veterans Project. I also recently received the opportunity to participate in “Tomorrow the sun will rise” juried exhibition at the Phillips Collection. On view until September 30, 2026 and was recently tapped to participate in New Balance and Foot Locker activations as a key artist helping shape and represent the cultural landscape of Washington, D.C. Another accomplishment I am super proud of is been inducted in the Good Black Art cohort established and ran by Phillip Michael Collins, which is a collective I have been following for years.These opportunities feel like a meaningful step forward and a reflection of the direction I’ve been working toward.
I’m especially excited to continue building a practice that allows me to take on more commissions and collaborations that feel connected to my work, my community, and the stories I want to tell. I’m looking forward to seeing where this next chapter takes me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.omarijesse.com
- Instagram: @omarijesseart @omarijesse
