Oya Arts Ltd

Artist specializing in black art from a British, African American, and Caribbean perspective. Shop Afrocentric art or enroll in one of my free art classes.

03/14/2026

Last night’s GRACE Art Show was truly something special.

Thank you to everyone who came out and filled the space with such warmth, presence, and encouragement. What unfolded was a beautiful celebration of womanhood—an evening overflowing with love, support, and genuine solidarity.

Moments like this remind us how powerful it is when women gather, create, and uplift one another.

Grateful to have shared the night with you all.

03/13/2026

Well… that escalated quickly.
A Very British Whodunit is officially SOLD OUT.
Thank you to everyone joining us for a night of murder, mystery, painting, and cocktails served in teapots.

Missed this one? Don’t worry.
There are still a few tickets left for our next immersive night:

1920’s Prohibition Mystery Paint & Sip
The Outrageously Illegal Society of the Bottomless Flask

Step into a secret speakeasy, paint your masterpiece, solve the mystery, and enjoy your very own flask of Prohibition h***h — yours to keep.

Grab a ticket before the coppers shut the whole joint down. Link in bio

02/21/2026

Can you believe this is my first painting of 2026?

It has been a full season of Paint. Sip. Solve. experiences, private parties, and team-building sessions — creating with so many wonderful people — and somewhere between hosting and facilitating, time moved quickly. Getting back to my own canvas feels grounding.

Village Mothers

6 x 16 inch acrylic with palette knife on paper
(Will be framed)

Not every mother gives birth — but many give life.

Village Mothers is a tribute to the women who step in, stand firm, and love without condition. The ones who show up when they don’t have to. The ones who choose the child. In countless homes and communities, it is not biology that shapes us most — it is presence. It is protection. It is the steady, unwavering love of women who decide, “You are mine to care for.”

This piece honors stepmothers, aunties, grandmothers, godmothers, mentors, neighbors — the women who become pillars in a child’s world. Motherhood has never belonged to one woman alone. It is shared. It is sacred. It is carried by a village.

Feels good to be back in the studio.

02/09/2026

Had such a fun time hosting a kids’ birthday party yesterday. The kids had a blast—but at Oya Arts, we do things a little differently.

Most people plan parties with only the kids in mind. We also think about the parents. When you book with us, we take care of every detail: the painting, the setup, and the food.

While the kids are creating and laughing, the grown-ups enjoy a proper tea service. You deserve a moment to sit, sip, and actually enjoy the experience too.

Thoughtful details. Beautiful moments. Everyone looked after.

12/21/2025

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Holiday Paint & Gift — it’s always a beautiful way to close out the year. We’re deeply grateful for the continued support, creativity, and community you’ve shown us.

This was our final event of the year, and we’ll return on February 28 with an elevated experience: an intimate, sommelier-led wine tasting paired with a guided palette knife painting session. Expect curated pours, thoughtful instruction, and the chance to create a striking finished piece in a relaxed, refined setting.

Click the link in our bio for details. We can’t wait to welcome you back.

12/14/2025

Introducing Visions Of Trinity

This new three-piece collection explores the shifting, layered nature of identity and the quiet moments that shape who we become. Available as individual prints or as a curated bundle — meaningful gifts for the season or a beautiful addition to your own space.

12/06/2025

Behind the scenes as we get ready for a private, intimate glow-in-the-dark paint party.
One of my favorite parts of this work is transforming the studio into whatever my clients imagine — from the lighting to the layout to the full experience.

At Oya Arts, every paint party is flexible and tailored.
Whether you want a fully catered evening or prefer to bring your own food, a luxe celebration or something simple and fun, we build it around your vision and your budget.

If you’re planning something special, we’d love to create it with you.

11/17/2025

Thank you to everyone who came out for Art Attack this weekend — it was an absolute blast.
I’m so grateful for every person who stopped by Studio 265, shared a moment, and showed love. Your support truly means the world to me.

For those who watched me painting live, here’s the finished mixed-media piece — The Four That Walked Before Me. Mixed media on light stone.

In this piece, the three strips of fabric are abstract birch trees — symbols of nature, resilience, and renewal. Birch trees are known for their ability to grow after harsh conditions, and in many traditions they hold spiritual meaning as gateways between worlds.

If you look closely, you’ll see four ancestral figures emerging through the trees. They are the presence you feel but don’t always see — the ones who guided you here, who held you long before you understood their impact.

This work is about ancestry as a living force: rooted in nature, rising through us, and walking with us always.

More new work coming soon.

11/13/2025

Introducing “Mitochondrial” — 11x14
At the root of us all is the lineage of Black women — the maternal line that carries the mitochondrial thread passed only from mothers to their children. That quiet inheritance reaches back to an early African woman whose imprint still moves through every generation today. This piece draws from that truth: the idea that whole families, communities, and cultures grow from a single, powerful beginning.

In Mitochondrial, the layered silhouettes are arranged to reflect how one woman’s presence can ripple outward — shaping households, forming villages, and influencing the world long after her name is forgotten. The warm tones and branching forms echo that unfolding, honoring the women whose strength and continuity built the foundations we stand on.

You can find Mitochondrial — along with a range of new works — at Studio 265 in the Northrup King Building this weekend for Art Attack.
I’ll be in the studio all weekend. Come through, explore the collection, and spend some time with the pieces in person.

11/12/2025

Link in bio!

It’s that time of year again — when Oya Arts opens up the studio for our cozy Holiday Paint & Gift session!

To say thank you for all your support this year, we’re spreading some festive cheer with a Bring a Friend deal — come solo for $45 or bring a friend for $55.

Here’s what’s included:
• All painting supplies provided
• Create 4 handmade gifts to take home — a mini coaster, bookmark, ornament, and fridge magnet
• Enjoy our hot chocolate bar
• Take home a festive holiday goody bag
• Automatic entry into our Christmas Raffle to win a Christmas Holiday Paint Hamper filled with creative goodies

Let’s wrap up the year with laughter, cocoa, and creativity in the heart of the Oya Arts Studio.

Tickets: $45 single | $55 for two
Location: Oya Arts Studio — Northeast Minneapolis

11/11/2025

Come and check out one of my new pieces this weekend at Art Attack. You can find me in studio 265 in the

Where the Earth Remembers
12 x 24 Acyrlic with Pallet knife

This piece was inspired by the idea that memory is not only held in people, but in the land itself. The figures represent the living connection between ancestry and the present — women who carry stories through gesture, color, and ritual. Their posture and adornment speak to strength, continuity, and the quiet wisdom passed through generations.

The earthy palette reflects the tones of soil and sun — a reminder that our roots run deeper than we often see. Gold accents symbolize resilience and the sacred value of heritage, while the layered textures suggest the overlapping histories we inherit and reinterpret through our lives.

Where the Earth Remembers is a celebration of lineage — of women as keepers of cultural memory, and of the earth as the archive that never forgets.

Address

1500 Jackson Street NE
Minneapolis, MN
55413

Website

http://WWW.OYAARTSONLINE.COM/

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