Amani M. Heywood

“Non Sine Periculo / Not Without Danger” by Amani Heywood, the intimate space where art and vulnerability intersect—that sacred studio moment when the artist's hand hesitates above the blank page, torn between safety and revelation. This collection, born in the quiet sanctuary of his grandmother’s Bronx home explores the emotional risks inherent in love, loss, and legacy—not as abstract concepts, but as lived experiences etched into every layered stroke.

 

“It felt calming, it felt relaxing, it felt like I was just doing and being my childlike self. It felt really special, like I was a 9 year old boy in his grandmas house, just now I can reach the top shelf. It was if I was in the room watching cartoons, playing video games, drawing, and waiting for my mom to pick me up.”

 

Through his signature character, Buford —a shapeshifting vessel for collective experience —Heywood translates raw human emotion into striking visual poetry. The works pulse with duality: oil pastel’s defiant opacity claws against sumi ink’s liquid inevitability, mirroring how courage and fear coexist in every meaningful choice. On 18 x 24 inch paper, these textures become emotional archives—the pastel’s buttery resistance preserving moments of joy, while the sumi’s unforgiving bleed documents sorrows that cannot be undone.

 

“It’s really crazy to see how much Buford has developed. I love painting large abstract pieces, they make me feel as if I was painting my emotions purely, as opposed to painting a character. I feel as if I’m painting the feelings and emotions of those around me. This is a combination of this inner and outer world of emotions coming together.”