CLEVELAND, OH (WOIO) - Cleveland native Sammie the Artist is using his art to spread a message of positivity across social media.
Sammie uses a combination of abstract art and pop culture references to create pieces like the ones below:
Sammie has painted figures like Muhammad Ali, Martin Luther King, Dorothy Dandrige and LeBron James.
His art is a reflection of what he loves and he does his best to promote those doing things for a just cause.
For example, this piece was completed shortly after actor Jussie Smollett fell victim to a hate crime in Chicago.
“I’m still trying to find my style to be honest," Sammie said with a grin.
He draws influence from Jean-Michel Basquiat, an artist famous for his abstract, “street-smart graffiti.”
“I watch a lot of interviews when I work, and I just get inspired by people doing what they love to do.”
He first fell in love with painting at the age of 3.
The 30-year-old’s passion turned into good fortune after he graduated from the Cleveland School of the Arts.
Check out all of his work below:
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