"What if everyone, from the day they were born, had one piece of paper assigned to them,
and for each experience they had, a drawing was made, one on top of the other, creating a
complete visual impression of the complexity of human existence?"
Abi Joy Samuel, born in 1993, is an expressionist figurative artist based in London, primarily
working with charcoal, pastel, and oils on canvas. A journey that commenced in foster care
as an infant shaped Samuel's unique perspective, sparking a lifelong exploration of the
intersection between life and art, ultimately achieving a state of ‘inbetweeness.'
Drawn to spiritual and philosophical enrichment, Samuel's early twenties were marked by a
transformative period in India and a 10-day silent retreat known as 'Vipassana.' The depth
of the 'body scanning' process during the retreat was so profound that she returned to
painting with a comprehensive understanding of human anatomy. In 2022, she resided in a
temple just outside of London to experience a life of service and to study The Bhagavad
Gita.
Her fascination with the human form, perceived as a dynamic character we construct, led
her to attain a BA in fashion design from the University of Westminster. A pivotal experience
for Samuel was her role as the creative assistant for McQ Alexander McQueen, where she
gained exclusive access to the designer's personal library of books, the same books that
inspired some of his most iconic collections. Understanding the connection between his
ideas and the books he sourced played a pivotal role in Samuel’s research style and her
love for collecting images.
Samuel's practice has garnered international acclaim. Her inaugural solo exhibition in 2018
caught the eye of a New York Times art critic, and March 2024, she had her first solo show
in the USA. Currently, she is in London, participating in the Artist-In-Residence program run
by Quinn Emanuel Law Firm and attending the Royal College of Art’s Graduate Diploma
program on a scholarship.