Biography/Artist Statement

Rashawn Penister is a visual artist and art educator from Pine Bluff, Arkansas. He holds an Associate of Arts from Southeast Arkansas College, a Bachelor of Science in Visual Art from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and a Master of Fine Arts in Painting from The University of Memphis. Rashawn is currently an art teacher in the Pine Bluff School District.  Rashawn’s artworks have been displayed in several exhibitions in Arkansas including the 61st Annual Delta Exhibition, the 2023 Small Works on touring exhibition, and the 2025 Irene Rosenzweig Biennial Juried Exhibition.

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My work explores themes of identity, power, and risk through layered portraiture to capture the viewers. Each piece is created to be interesting and mysterious, inviting the audience to get a good look at the work.

The inspiration for my work came from a coworker's metaphor about making use of what we have. The playing cards in the painting represent the choices and chances that shape our lives. By incorporating collage, drawing, painting, and varied imagery, the goal was to illustrate how identity can be created by internal and external influences.

The figures in my compositions are surrounded by distinctive patterned backgrounds, which act as a bridge, connecting viewers to the artwork and encouraging personal interpretation. Through these techniques and mediums, my work challenges conventional boundaries, prompting reconsideration of the relationship between representation and expectation

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