Life Be Lifing: COL Gallery, San Francisco, CA

"Life Be Lifing is an expression of what it means to move through life when it doesn’t slow down, soften up, or make sense. This body of work sits in the tension between survival and understanding, where grief, pressure, and everyday reality collide. These paintings are the result of lived experience. They come with memories of losing family and friends, missed opportunities, and the quiet battles of being misunderstood, judged, or isolated. There’s frustration here, as much with human interaction and systems, and expectations, but also honesty.

There is nothing filtered or cleaned up for comfort. With layered material, forceful color, and raw composition I create surfaces that reflect the complexity of emotion. There are parts that feel weighty and dense, like moments that won’t move. Others become candid, looking for breath, clarity, or release. The work doesn’t attempt to resolve these feelings, it holds them.

Life Be Lifing isn’t one of having answers. It’s about realizing that life happens in real time, often without permission, and learning how to exist in that truth. This exhibition encourages you to sit with discomfort, recognize shared experiences, and find connection in the unspoken parts of being human," Antwoine Washington.