In his street-style paintings, Vando Davis includes his signature motif: BK2O (Be Kind to Others).
The self-taught Atlanta artist says the message adds a deeper layer of meaning to his creative work.
Artist: Born in Memphis, Davis grew up in Wilmington, DE, where his dad worked for DuPont. After high school, he attended the University of Tennessee, where he majored in hotel & restaurant management while playing football and running track.
In 1992, he moved to Atlanta to attend culinary school at the Art Institute of Atlanta and worked in fine dining as a French-trained chef and later, as a studio engineer in music. He has been a full-time artist since 2018.
Studio/gallery: Vando Davis Art in downtown Atlanta.
In the beginning: Started painting in 2016, to help his older son decompress from his intense day trading sessions. “It was merely an exercise to help him,” said Davis. “But it changed my life completely.”
Art & materials: Neo-expressionist and abstract paintings on canvas using acrylic paint, oil stick, oil pastel, crayon, graphite and gouache ($1,400 to $12,000).
Paintings feature words, phrases, animals, figures and clashing colors to convey a message.
Signature motif: BK2O (Be Kind 2 Others) runs through a majority of his paintings.
“The goal is to help people feel better about themselves and others, which leads to more acts of random kindness,” said Davis.
Must-have tools: A pencil sharpener. “I can find a brush, color and paper anytime, but the pencil sharpener is crucial to getting started,” said Davis
Influences: Painters, including:
- Gustav Klimt. For his use of metallic.
- Mark Rothko. For his depth of colors and edge layers.
- Jean-Michel Basquiat. “For teaching me to always let go and stay loose and fast,” said Davis.
Special commission: In 2023, collaborated with students at the Ethos Classical Charter School in Atlanta on a piece (“Scholar”) that was auctioned off to help extend the school building.
Recent project: A show with the five-member artists of the Obsidian Art Collektive in early October during Atlanta Art Week. Davis is a member of the group.
What’s next:
- Group show at Gallery Anderson Smith in Atlanta’s Buckhead area, Nov. 15, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
- Solo show (Biggie Smalls show) at his studio and gallery. Nov. 23, 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. After that, by appointment. The show will feature a collection of framed and unframed small works that have a big impact
Where to buy:
- Vando Davis Art gallery and studio in Atlanta (by appointment) or at vandodavis.com.
- Gallery Anderson Smith, Buckhead and Peachtree Corners, GA.
- Okeeba Jubalo Gallery, North Charleston, S.C.
Connect: Instagram: @vandoart
