Visualizing Energy

A profile on professional artist Mobarick Abdullah III

As a young boy, Mobarick Abdullah III got a set of crayons from his mother. He was so excited, he used them to draw all over her white walls. “I didn’t get in trouble for it, so I knew at that point I probably had a journey in the art world,” said Abdullah.

Abdullah, a professional artist, has been showcasing his art work since high school, where he would use music events at school held as a way of advertising his artwork. He has always been into color and expression, using them as a way of visualizing energy.

“I try to make it like a party, a gathering. I use a lot of energy in my art,” said Abdullah. That is clearly shown in his work, such as his piece “Benjamins,” in which a $100 bill is covered in all kinds of colors, like yellow, green, blue and red.

His journey as an artist, like many others, has been awesome, terrifying and inspiring. It is a challenging profession that Abdullah wouldn’t trade for anything. He enjoys the challenges, staying continuously inspired in an effort to move people with his work, all while staying true to himself. While he wishes to stay away from the competitive side of the art world, he acknowledges the difficulty of having to charge higher rates for his pieces as a way of pricing his efforts put into the paintings. He would rather everyone get to enjoy the art, as they would with music where everyone can just “jam” together.

There are many benefits to being a professional artist, but Abdullah really enjoys the way he can make his audience smile. “Someone just purchased one of my paintings and said when they walk by the painting every day it makes them smile,” said Abdullah, adding comments like her are the highest form of a compliment he can receive. The idea of creating something out of nothing and inspiring people with that makes him feel like a “superhero,” and he doesn’t take it lightly. He respects everything he takes part in inside the art world. Being surrounded by like-minded individuals who all work toward the same goal, inspiring others, is what inspires him as an artist.

When he’s not painting and selling his colorful and energetic artwork, Abdullah is traveling with his wife, Pascale, experiencing all kinds of adventures and finding new art all over. They enjoy filming their experiences for their YouTube channel, Art of Adventure With Pascale and Mo. Any chance he can take to find inspiration and produce smiles, Abdullah takes.