Amani M. Heywood
Ken Forbes
"Shades of Brown"
Interview conducted by Amani Heywood
"So you really never know what you're capable of until you try something - and then try it again later."
- Ken Forbes
All photos are provided by artist
Ken Forbes, a self-taught artist, discovered his passion for art eight years ago during a retreat in Mexico. Initially lacking confidence, he surprised friends with his paintings, igniting a transformative journey into creativity and self-expression. Forbes uses coffee and cacao in his works to honor his heritage and convey messages of unity, emphasizing that beneath our differences, we are all human. His interactive pieces, like "*ope, Shades of Brown," encourage viewers to share personal stories and release emotional burdens, fostering meaningful conversations. Influenced by abstract expressionism and artists like Basquiat, Forbes values emotional resonance in his art, which he believes can bridge misunderstandings. Forbes aims to create a sense of community through his brand, “ArtBoy/ArtGirl,” by hosting discussions and events in his gallery. With plans for a new studio in Manhattan, he envisions it as a space for engagement, workshops, and personal growth. Embracing creativity's unpredictability, he cherishes "happy accidents" that shape his artistic journey, seeking collaborations that align with his mission of authenticity and community betterment.
You mentioned discovering art about eight years ago during a retreat with friends. Can you describe that experience and how it transformed your perspective on creativity and self-expression?
​I never really studied art. I wasn't good at it for most of my life. I took freshman art my senior year of high school, and it was just me and a bunch of gang members and my teacher let me skip most of the time, being that I was already accepted to college and it was just an elective schedule filler... I always appreciated art in all its forms but had ZERO skill painting or drawing myself. Then about 8 years ago, on a retreat in Mexico with some friends, someone brought along art supplies and we were painting on the beach. I did a couple of paintings and sketches and everyone was surprised, "wow, we didn't know you were an artist..." I replied, "yeah, neither did I!" That experience and positive encouragement then changed the course of my life.
So you really never know what you're capable of until you try something - and then try it again later. Sometimes you need your life experience to catch up to your knowledge, skills, and abilities. Think about it... if you write well but have no life experience to write about or refer to, your book is going to be flat and dull. So just because you couldn't do xyz now, doesn't mean you won't be able to master it in the future.
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Your use of coffee and cacao in your artworks is a unique choice. How do these materials connect to your heritage, and what messages do you hope to convey through their use?
Cacao is chocolate in its purest form. I use coffee, cacao/chocolate, and mainly shades of brown as a basecoat in my artworks as an homage to being a person of color, and also that I want to awaken us to the fact that at the foundation or base coat of who we are is that we are all just different shades of brown; we are all human. I hate artworks that you look at, say "that's cool" and then move on. Art is supposed to move us, make us feel, think, and hopefully give us an understanding of ourselves and other perspectives in a way we hadn't appreciated before. I use abstraction in my artworks and create moments in stories - stories that viewers can fill in and write using their own perspectives and experiences. I hope that viewers will view the artworks and share their perspectives with one another, creating a bridge that circumvents misunderstanding or judgments between people. Hate is a product of fear, and fear is a product of misunderstanding. If we can communicate and understand one another better, we'll ultimately become better versions of ourselves together and stop being such assholes to one another.
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You specialize in interactive artworks that tell stories. Can you share an example of a piece that has sparked meaningful conversations among viewers? What was the outcome of those interactions?
My first painting in the series was entitled, "*ope, Shades of Brown." It was a large interactive painting about both the story of people of color in America, as well as my own personal journey with race. On the face of the canvas, I wrote down phrases that had been said to me that stuck with me my entire life - "N*GGER", "Because you're black" "Just wait until the CEO finds out that Ken Forbes Jr. is a Negro." I took these phrases and placed them on the canvas, thus "releasing" them and their hold from me. Viewers were provided paper with adhesive and prompted to write their own phrases of things that have stuck with them, and then to "release" them and attach them on the side of the canvas. Viewers were also allowed to take what other people have written with them, in the hopes that they would be more mindful before uttering such a phrase again, now knowing that those words affected someone for the entirety of their lives.
Delegates from the United Nations came to see the artwork on a couple of occasions. A lot of what people shared was pretty intense and intimate. Things from abuse, to parental traumas, etc. One quote even read, "Can I call you the N Word while I fuck you?" People told me how the exercise was very cathartic for them to be able to confront what they'd been holding on to and what had a hold on them, in a safe space and safe way that allowed them to privately yet publicly release those emotions into the world and off of their chest, but in a way that educates and heals. Participants also said how meaningful it was to see what others wrote, being that what they thought were flippant passive comments or jokes, really had a deep impact on others. It meant a lot to be able to engage and educate people in the healing of themselves and others.
As a self-taught artist, how did you come to embrace abstract expressionism and cubism? Are there specific artists or movements that have influenced your style?
From the creator standpoint, abstract expressionism is so freeing and primal and emotive. Whatever the mind, heart, and body are screaming to get out manifests on the canvas, be it colors, figures, poetry etc. Being that there are "no rules" to it as opposed to other forms like hyperrealism, all that is left is the authentic You.
In the journey of finding my niche and perfecting my craft, I tried A LOT of different techniques and had a lot of happy accidents that became discoveries of new styles I liked. I was attracted to cubism and abstract expression because its lack of realism and specificity allows the viewer to paint in the missing spots, similar to how reading a book lets the mind color the story in a more freeing way than watching a film - perhaps why the book is always better than the film. Researching Basquiat's work and seeing it in person really drove this home for me. The way he uses codes, ciphers, crosses words out, hides things - it makes you stop and really inspect it. It's like speed bumps saying "YOU WILL STOP AND TAKE THIS IN." It's similar to how in film or tv, when an actor whispers a line, it can be even more intense than if they screamed it. So Basquiat was def a big influence for me. Additionally, artists that I've worked alongside with like Barbara Sienbelist and Luca Goly have taught me a lot about technique and process. And although he's not a painter, Rick Rubin's teachings have propelled my game to a new level.
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Reflecting on your experiences in finance, how have those challenges shaped your approach to art and the themes you explore in your work?
I have lived a lot of lives. I was an assistant chef, actor, writer, model, stock broker, and financial advisor (I'm probably missing something else). In finance, I was very much in white dominated spaces and the racism that I experienced was one of the biggest reasons that I left. I'm grateful for that time, as crazy as it was. The madness of working 100 hours per week in something that you hate versus something that you love, is night versus day.
I'm very egalitarian and believe in prosperity through equality and diversity. My previous jobs and lives showed me that America is so VERY segregated even today. You can be in the same space but still be separate and not equal. From these experiences, I've made it my mission to give voice and make space for people like myself.
Thanks to Art on the Ave NYC and its organizer, Barbara Anderson, I've got an enormous beautiful studio gallery in Tribeca Manhattan on the ground floor, across the street from City Hall. There's floor to ceiling windows. Black people don't often get opportunities like this - particularly in the art world. So it's an amazing feeling to be working and look up and see black people looking in and admiring the gallery. We'll link eyes and they'll look in pleasant awe and mouth, "this yours?" I'll smile and nod proudly. "Word?" They'll smile. "Word." And then they'll come in and it's incredible to be able to share that excitement and pride in ourselves to take up space as we rightly should.
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You emphasize the importance of emotional intelligence in your art. How do you ensure that your works resonate with viewers on a deeper emotional level?
Talk to your viewers! I try to ask them what they think, feel... what happened in this painting before and after? I ask them which paintings they're drawn to more than others and why. They'll start to tell a story, be vulnerable and share their perspective and a part of themselves - and that's really a beautiful thing. I've found that when you create a safe space and let people know that there are no wrong answers, you give them the permission to be who they are. And that's a gift that goes both ways.
Talking about art is just people sharing their own perspectives and life experiences, but with the safety net and veiled anonymity that it's about a painting.
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Your brand, “ArtBoy/ArtGirl,” promotes personal growth and community betterment. What specific actions do you take to foster that sense of community through your art?
One of the goals for ArtBoy/ArtGirl is to create a community and a sense of belonging. One of the campaigns for the brand is a series of interviews with diverse people with diverse perspectives. We'll discuss open ended things like "what does it mean to be human?", "what does it mean to be vulnerable?" "what would you tell someone who wants to become a better version of themselves?" I certainly don't have all the answers, but I feel collectively, we can find the answers we seek in the openness of others.
Additionally, in the gallery downtown we are beginning to host biweekly open discussions centered around a few artworks and how they make us feel. We create a safe space for people to open up and share their truths. I feel like we need that now more than ever.
We also host events like sound baths, small concerts, energy healings, etc. in order to bring people together in a safe space where they can settle down and open up.
With a new studio opening in downtown Manhattan in 2025, what are your goals for this space? How do you envision it contributing to your artistic practice and community engagement?
It's great to be able to bring collectors, gallerists, friends, strangers, to the gallery. The art hits so much deeper when you can be in front of it and feel its scale. It's an immersive experience. It's amazing and fulfilling to be able to provide moments for people to see and for them to be seen - especially on a busy day in a busy city that feels like it can drown you out. It gives people life and that in turn gives me life. I love to showcase my work and my process. We are actively hosting workshops, art classes, working with the Department of Aging, the Dept of Youth, the Dept of Education, and facilitating collector education and events, as well. I highly recommend people follow on Instagram to stay up to date with our calendar of events. And of course, just feel free to come by and share some vibes!
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You mentioned the importance of trying everything in the creative process. Can you share a specific “happy accident” from your journey that led to a significant breakthrough in your art?
The whole niche of painting with coffee was actually a happy accident that happened at my old residency in the Bowery at Pop Art Legend, Roy Lichtenstein's old studio. I was working on a large unprimed canvas super late at night, the interactive aforementioned "*ope, Shades of Brown" painting that would be the first of the series and niche. I brewed a bunch of espresso to fuel me through the morning. As I was priming the canvas with gesso, I realized I was running out and wouldn't have enough to cover the canvas. I spilled some coffee and the idea hit me to cut the gesso with coffee and see how that played out. (I may or may not have also ingested some psychedelic mushrooms at the time.) It had really cool color and texture so I brewed some real thick high octane espresso/coffee and went in to painting with that. Some time later, it just kinda clicked that painting with coffee and cacao and shades of brown totally fell in line with my mission and vision and purpose. And the rest is history.
The accident wasn't entirely happy though... a co-resident artist who was also painting late night that evening had decided to drink some of my concoction. I got a frantic voicemail from him about 12 hours later. "WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU GIVE ME?!?! I CAN'T SLEEP AND I'VE GONE TO THE BATHROOM 8 TIMES! FUCK YOU, ARTBOY! I HATE YOU!" ... that wasn't my intention but it was totally worth it. In my defense, he was kind of a dick and later was kicked out of the residency.
I wonder how he's doing nowadays...
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You’re open to partnerships and collaborations. What qualities do you look for in potential collaborators, and how do you envision these partnerships enhancing your artistic vision?
I look for egalitarianism, a passion for creativity, and a commitment to betterment. It's important to me to work with people who are professional and tell our story/the story of the art. If you don't operate with respect, especially to my time, wallet, or commitment to helping people - I can't fuck with you. No thanks. Blessings, but we're not aligned.
I'm doing cool shit, helping people become a better version of themselves - and if you ain't with that, this ride ain't for you.
Authenticity reigns supreme. So if you're into events with creatives, art talks, sound baths, poetry, intimate concerts, education through the arts, even on the corporate side - let me know and let's happily make some magic. Much Love - ArtBoy.
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Find out more and connect with Ken Forbes here: