ART

Hobbs is also a Portland based visiual artist. He has been an artist at heart since he was able to hold a crayon, but it has been 5 years since he have been producing art on a professional capacity. In the past he has produced a total amount of 5 series. Here in Portland his art has premiered more than 25 times, some of the places that he has showed his art at are Ori, Basic Space, the Portland Armory, the Portland 5 to name a couple. Hobbs is a 6 time muralist. He also produced art for Nike to name a couple accomplishments. He hasn’t not benefited from formal training, Hobbs is has been primarily self-taught and taught by his mom, who recieved a B.A in arts. The work that Hobbs creates is abstract art with the focus on or informed by social issues that impact the community, in his work he is very community minded. Topics that his art range from are from urban renewal to Black happiness. But the art is not only informed by social issues because of the topics of the pieces, as an artist he says that it is important that his practice is sustainable. 90% of the art that he creates is made with supplies that are reclaimed from the community or purchased local. Hobbs uses acrylic paints and other acrylic products in his art for the main part, the approach he takes to create a piece is a process he calls layering. The messages that he tries to promote through his art are by phrases, symbols, shapes and strokes of paint.

Hobbs channels his activism work through everything he does. He uses his art to amplify others’ stories and to incite and hopefully change the views of the people he touches and the world. As a dancer, he represents the Black community in very white institutions and is paving the way for a new generation of young Black dancers, as well as channeling the legacy of his ancestors through his movement.
Hobbs recently co-founded his organization Collective Youth Elevation, where he and his team are empowering their peers with the tools they need to become active participants in democracy by holding our leaders accountable to represent their interests. Hobbs co-founded CYE with some other students in response to the government’s failure to address the systemic inequities within our society and to protect those who are most vulnerable. CYE’s goal is to promote action and develop lasting changes in our communities to serve the BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and marginalized populations. For their first initiative they are focusing on our local governments representatives and bureaucratic offices through letter and email writing campaigns.