Leaning into the urge. Discovering a new truth…
SAMO. is a 48 × 60 inch oil-on-canvas portrait born from pure instinct—begun without plan and completed under a moment of rare alignment.
Stroke Of Jenyes
Stroke of Jenyes is an episodic art series where JENYES paints portraits of prominent Black figures he recognizes as geniuses, revealing the mindset and qualities that made them extraordinary. Through each completed painting, the series breaks down what their genius was—turning visual art into lessons meant to enlighten and empower the generation that follows.
SAMO.
48 × 60 in · Oil on Canvas
This painting was not planned.
It arrived.
What began as a minimal two-piece study, two silhouettes meant for quick release, was interrupted by an undeniable urge. The kind of pull artists recognize immediately. I stopped mid-process, tore open a 48 × 60 inch canvas, and began sketching without hesitation.
Before I realized it, nearly the entire surface was alive. About 80 to 90 percent covered in paint, instinct driving every mark. I moved the canvas across the studio, set a single focused light, reached for my oils, and committed to the details. Four hours later, Jean‑Michel Basquiat was staring back at me.
Then something happened that shifted the piece from powerful to undeniable.
My older brother picked up a coffee table book in my recording studio and began flipping through it. At the same moment, I looked up Basquiat’s biography—specifically the details surrounding his death. That’s when I realized the day I began the painting was his birthday.
I sat in stillness, taking it in. The urge, the timing, the image…it all clicked.
I finished the work a day or two later and titled it SAMO. A phrase Basquiat used during his early graffiti years, Same Old Same, both a critique and a mirror. Thirty-seven years after his passing, the meaning feels heavier, sharper, and more relevant than ever.
About the Work
SAMO. is both a portrait and a conversation across time. It reflects the persistence of creative energy, the way true art refuses to expire. This piece honors Basquiat not as a relic, but as a living force embedded in culture, rebellion, and expression.
Collector Notes
Title: SAMO.
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 48 × 60 inches
Year: 2025
Edition: Original, one of one
This work is ideal for collectors who value legacy, symbolism, and cultural permanence.
SAMO. is a one-of-one, 48 × 60 inch oil painting created through pure instinct and later revealed to have begun on Jean-Michel Basquiat’s birthday. Titled after his early graffiti phrase meaning Same Old Same, the work speaks to the permanence of true creative energy—unchanged, undiminished, and still alive. Offered as a collector-level statement piece, SAMO. stands as a conversation across time rather than a tribute to the past.
Details
Original oil painting (one of one)
48 × 60 inches
Signed by the artist
Ships with Certificate of Authenticity
SAMO. is offered as a collector-level statement piece for those who understand that legacy doesn’t fade—it circulates.