AINSLEY BURROWS

Ainsley Burrows (b. 1974 in Kingston, Jamaica; based in Baltimore, MD) is a full-time multidisciplinary artist who explores untold stories and unspoken emotions. Raised in Brooklyn, NY, Burrows' creative pursuits as a poet, musician, performer, and painter deeply influence one another.

Burrows' professional artistic journey began after a life-altering car accident in his early 20s, which led him to abandon an MBA program and fully commit to his passion for art. He toured the world as a poet and performer until 2009 when he expanded his artistic expression to include painting.

From 2009 to 2020, Burrows created hundreds of paintings, transforming his literary talent into a visual language, primarily using acrylic paint on canvas. During the 2020 pandemic, he was forced to take a break from performing, but was ready to enter the art world, having spent the previous four years (2016-2019) creating a series of 125 paintings titled "The Maroons: Rebellion." Select works from this series were featured in his first solo exhibition at the State University of New York (SUNY) Oneonta in 2022.

Emerging as a prolific abstract artist, Burrows has developed three unique methodologies: NeoChaos, Raktism, and String Theory. Preferring to paint on large canvases, with his longest work to date measuring 276 inches, Burrows uses NeoChaos to create expressive gestures, lines, and vibrant swathes of color, adding a distinct voice to the abstract expressionist canon. Raktism delves into the fourth dimension, featuring boundaries, abstractions, echoes, and experiments with time and space on a 2D canvas. Inspired by the scientific framework, String Theory involves sweeping, curving motions with paint, often requiring full-body movement.

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In 2024, Burrows was awarded the JJC Residency, a collaborative program between the Joshua Johnson Council (JJC), Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA), and Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA).