Marcus Imani Kennedy

Chicago, IL

“Shapes are dancing to the music.”

Marcus Imani Kennedy (he/him/his) creates artwork that is greatly influenced by his love for music and a tribute to the musicians who create it. Born in Evanston, Illinois, Marcus now lives in Chicago. Marcus is an artist at Arts of Life, an organization that supports careers in the visual arts for individuals with physical and intellectual disabilities. 

An avid fan of a wide range of music, especially Brazilian jazz, R&B, reggae, bossa nova, hip hop, and classic rock, he always listens to favorite radio stations while working in the studio. He often finds inspiration in the work of other artists, sometimes borrowing an initial approach but transforming and reimagining it through his distinct creative vision. His extensive, ongoing series of vibrant pattern-based works on paper has manifested as hundreds of abstract iterations, endless explorations within a certain set of guiding parameters. These velvety acrylic and oil pastel works reflect a sophisticated, intuitive sense of color and form.

Marcus shares, “I came up with my own beautiful style. I get inspired by other artists’ work. I make it my own and put music into it. I listen to different music, it flows me.” Marcus will hear a song on the radio and use that song to influence his artwork. He says, “It could be Chuck Berry, Jimmy Smith, Talking Heads.” Marcus often names his artwork after the songs that inspired it as a way to honor the music. 

In terms of process, Marcus is ritualistic yet also intuitive. “I do the outlines all the way around in pastel first, then color just comes to my mind and I add paint. Dark colors and bright colors, a little bit of both. I’m pretty good at mixing colors,” he shares. “Painting takes a while, sometimes it takes a day or two. Sometimes it can take weeks. I use paint and pastel at the same time because it looks beautiful that way.” No matter the music, the artwork that emerges is memorable, joyful, and a reflection of him.