Colour, rhythm and movement sit at the heart of Modest Art 88’s paintings. The Los Angeles-based self-taught artist and educator brings a dancer’s instincts to the canvas, while his work and youth arts programme reflect a wider aim: making creativity feel open to everyone. His inclusion in GLAAD’s 2026 EMEI cohort puts that approach in the spotlight.

A dancer’s rhythm, translated into paint

Modest Art 88 sees painting as a kind of dance. He paints to music, connects sounds with colours and brings figures that resemble dancers into bold, moving compositions. The result is work that feels less like a still image and more like a moment caught mid-step.

His route into art began with ballet, whose discipline he says helped shape his practice. The artist’s website describes him as a Los Angeles-based dancer and self-taught urban contemporary artist, and says he began painting in 2012, first making pictures for family and friends. The Caribbean Preservation Alliance’s virtual gallery also highlights the blend of music, emotion and movement in his acrylic paintings. [2][3]

Colour is more than decoration

For Modest Art 88, colour is a way to stir feeling. He hopes people leave his work with a sense of joy, and says viewers have also found nostalgia in it, recalling childhood or familiar television references. That range of reactions suits an artist who wants people to bring their own memories to the canvas.

And there’s a practical point in his self-taught story, too. His path offers encouragement to people who are drawn to making things but aren’t sure they have the right training: he wants his example to suggest that sometimes it’s worth simply beginning. The Caribbean Preservation Alliance likewise describes his work as an expression of identity and artistic freedom. [3]

Visibility can make room for others

Visibility matters to Modest Art 88 not only as recognition for his work, but as a way of being seen by people who may not feel visible themselves. He has described wanting to offer a kind of informal mentorship, where simply showing up can make a difference.

That belief sits alongside his work with young people. The artist’s website says he founded the Creative Genius Academy in 2015 as a mobile arts programme offering performing and visual arts opportunities in disadvantaged areas. The Caribbean Preservation Alliance also notes the programme’s focus on bringing arts opportunities to young people. [2][3]

From Art Basel to a solo show in Los Angeles

Modest Art 88’s work has appeared at Art Basel in 2021, 2022 and 2024, according to his website. Redwood Art Group’s records add independent confirmation of his place in Spectrum Miami’s 2024 Spotlight programme: its post-event release lists him as a Spotlight Award recipient. [2][4][5]

His next listed solo exhibition, Between Calm & Chaos, is scheduled for 10 October 2026 in Los Angeles. Eventbrite describes it as a chance to explore the meeting point between stillness and emotion through abstract art, layered paintings and storytelling. As with any event listing, it’s sensible to check the organiser’s page for the latest details before making plans. [6]

An invitation to enter the work

GLAAD’s profile places Modest Art 88 in its 2026 Equity in Media and Entertainment Initiative cohort, which supports Black LGBTQ creators using art and storytelling to challenge HIV stigma and encourage cultural change. The initiative’s wider profile series also features other artists, including Devin N. Morris, though the two artists’ practices and stories are distinct. [7]

Modest Art 88 says he wants his audience to include both people who simply want to spend time with art and those who invest in it. That’s a generous ambition: the work can be a colourful visual experience, while the story behind it offers another reason to look closer.

Whether you’re drawn by the movement, the colour or the community work, there’s plenty to explore in Modest Art 88’s world.

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