Ajamu Kojo is a figurative painter and filmmaker living and working in Brooklyn. He splits his time between developing independent film projects, working as a scenic artist on television and film productions, and concentrating on his fine artworks. He is continuously developing works that take on a critical view of social, political, and cultural issues through stories, slices of life, and moments of voyeurism. A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, Kojo attended Howard University where he majored in Film and Television Production and minored in Theatre Arts.

“My work takes a critical view of social, political, and cultural issues through stories; slices of life, and moments of voyeurism.  Oftentimes these themes are approached through a sense of irony.  All of my works are in some way linked by recurring formal concerns through the subject matter.  The composition is of course influenced by said subject matter. Each series often consists of multiple works, often in the same range of medium, grouped around specific themes and meanings. Through research and production, new areas of interest arise and lead to the next body of work.

I am a storyteller whose practice is peppered with a bit of mystery. The idea of discovery through pictures is what drives my endless desire to create. 

I use my practice to examine the history and current events, sometimes based on social inequalities.  My primary focus is to reveal the beauty of a people where it’s not normally celebrated; to juxtapose imagery that is uplifting against that which is not.  My work is for all humans.  Though not entirely, my work focuses predominantly on humans of African descent. 

The work is predominantly figurative. In the past, I’ve used motion pictures, still photography, writing, and painting to articulate my ideas and concepts. “