Anutha Love Ballad,
2025
Anutha Love Ballad considers Black and Brown love in Oakland, attentive to the emotional range that relationships carry. Raheem describes love as holding joy, anger, grief, hope, and the quieter intensities that move between them. The painting reflects this breadth without romanticizing or simplifying it, offering an image grounded in lived experience. Through this layered emotional field, the work acknowledges love as something shifting and deeply human. The size of this edition is 20×24".
VAT included / excl. shipping.
Artwork is printed edge-to-edge. No white borders or framing are included.
Esteban Raheem Abdul Raheem Samayoa (b. 1994, Sacramento, CA) is a Mexican-Guatemalan artist based in Oakland, CA, whose practice is a profound exploration of cultural heritage, identity, and transformation. Working across charcoal, painting, ceramics, and installation, Samayoa’s work captures intimate moments of nostalgia and resilience, drawing from personal and communal histories. His mastery of black and white charcoal drawings serves as the foundation of his practice, rendering evocative scenes that feel both deeply personal and universally resonant. Beyond monochrome, he embraces vibrant color and rich textures, incorporating materials like burlap, plaster, and soil—elements that pay homage to his Guatemalan roots and the tactile nature of memory.
Samayoa’s work extends beyond self-reflection; it is a means of forging connections. By channeling personal experiences into visual storytelling, he creates spaces for dialogue, healing, and collective understanding. His art is not just a testament to his own journey but an invitation for others to see themselves within it—a celebration of community, transformation, and the enduring power of self-expression.
