Artist Stacey Brown, currently residing in Atlanta, Georgia offers an eclectic collection of original paintings for the contemporary art lover. Born and reared in Murfreesboro, North Carolina, his artistic journey of discovery began with aspirations for a career in graphic design. After graduating from the Art Institute of Atlanta, he embarked on a successful ten year career in his chosen field, but something was "missing" in his life. That something "missing" drew him to his paint brush, and he decided to pursue his true love, fine art. His passion for the arts has led him to a successful career as a full-time artist, expressing himself through acrylic paintings on glass, and watercolor on paper. He remains visually aware of his surroundings by incorporating colors that correspond with current contemporary trends, as well as remaining in tune with his roots with traditional landscapes, and urban neighborhood scenes that exude keen observations of everyday life. Stacey's paintings have graced the walls of the mansion on the hit reality show BET College Hill, the Atlanta Street of Dreams Home Tour, and the 2008 Tom Joyner Fantastic Cruise. Just recently, he was commissioned by Verizon Wireless to create an original painting entitled, "Crowns of Praise" for the How Sweet the Sound 11 city national gospel tour. www.howsweetthesound.com His painting will represent the Atlanta market. Discriminating art lovers throughout the country and abroad collect his eclectic and contemporary creations, which has led him to emerge as a visionary artistic talent for the 21st century. Nigerian born artist, Buchi Upjohn Aghaji dips his brush into vastly different hues when creating his works. He expresses his art through a variety of media including oil, watercolor and acrylic on cold-pressed paper, canvas, burlap, wood and pottery. The result is a refreshing change from the contemporary trend in Afro-centric painting. Aghaji says he was always interested in painting, his studies at the university steered him into the advertising field where he worked for a year in Nigeria. It wasnt until he moved to England that he realized he could pursue his painting full time. Always open to travel and new experiences, Aghaji decided to move to the United States. He spent three years in New York where he says at first his work was met with some resistance due to its break from tradition. He has held fast to the idea that "An appreciation and enjoyment of a thing of beauty is a freeing experience in itself". One must have that freedom to appreciate and interpret the beauty of art. This explains why his work takes a semi-abstract quality yet possessing a vibrance that makes you stop and take notice of the rhythm of the painting. He also uses the traditional "Uli" motifs found in his tribe, the Igbos of Nigeria that displays a unique form of expression. Uli is the art of body decorations, consisting of lines and patterns that convey such admirable qualities as the strength, fertility, humility and compassion of the individuals they adorn. He states that using uli motifs enables him to remind everyone that these inner qualities are what we must seek to cultivate. This combining of the best of the "old" and the "new" come together make his work a unique and exhilarating experience. Upjohns work has received much recognition and acclaim in Nigeria and other parts of the world. The president of Nigeria and numerous private collectors in England, Germany, America and Africa have collected his work.

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