Today we’d like to introduce you to Kenish Harmon.
Hi Kenish, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have always been an artist. It has been my purpose, my calling and my dream since childhood. Every career day was spent with me dressed in a paint smock, a French beret, and a paint brush and palette in hand. There were no other options or desires. I spent my middle and high school years at a visual and performing arts school (Charleston County School of the Arts) and then went on to receive my bachelor in arts and minor in English (Claflin University) and my masters of fine art (Howard University). Upon adulthood, I did everything that I could to stay art adjacent. I became an art educator, teaching middle school, high school, and college at various parts of my life. All the while, I continued to work on my own art practice and maintain my own fine art career that eventually became an LLC in 2022.
Teaching gave me stability but it also reveled something deeper: I wasn’t just meant to teach art. I was meant to live it. Over time, my personal work evolved into large-scale, narrative-driven paintings and murals that fuse pop-surrealism, illustration, social commentary, and symbolism. With my business and brand, That Art Nerd LLC, I began creating public murals, exhibiting across the country and internationally, and developing various bodies of work. One recent body of work that is unfolding is my ongoing series entitled, “Mad World.” This series examines the political, cultural, and emotional chaos of the last few years through vibrant, metaphorical storytelling. Parallel to the “Mad World Series” is the collection entitled “Here Comes the Sun,” a collection meant to be joyous, nostalgic, uplifting and therapeutic. It is a palate cleanser for “Mad World” and quite literally, a way to decompress from all of the madness going on in our world today.
Despite all the traction with artwork, my path hasn’t been easy. I’ve balanced teaching full-time, illustrating stories, navigating life transitions, and still showing up for my art all at the same time. But each challenge pushed me closer to the realization that art and art alone is what I’m truly called to do. I’m now actively transitioning into full-time artistry, expanding my exhibitions, mural work, and working on a graphic novel. What keeps me going is knowing that my work resonates with many people and knowing that my gift is not my own. It is humbling to know that there are people who see themselves somewhere inside the worlds that I paint. Art has always been how I process, heal, question, and speak, and I’m finally stepping into it with my whole chest. This is my story so far and it is only just beginning.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has not been an easy road at all! But I’d be lying if I say that it hasn’t been a rewarding and humbling journey nonetheless. I’ve been building my art career while juggling full-time teaching and work, burnout, bills, and life happening all at full speed. None of us are immune to “life lifing,” myself included. It has been even more of a struggle because I’m crazy enough to know that I belong in this world and I’m willing to run full speed into the next steps with or without a safety net. The word, “Purpose,” and the phrase, “Trust the process,” are just too strong for me not to.
It is for that reason that I choose to still show up for myself and my small business and brand. I show up with my big canvases and my larger than life ideas. I show up with my perfectionism and my desire for excellence and my desire to please Him. I show up authentically in spite of knowing that I am a Black woman from Charleston, SC creating work and engaging dialogue that has historically not been well received in the Southeast. I’ve been questioned about being more marketable and palatable but that little voice…that calling forces me not to minimize myself into small bites. I’ve had to learn how to create in the middle of chaos, paint through exhaustion, and keep going even when the path wasn’t cute or convenient and even without knowing if I or my work would even be received.
I still don’t know. And to be honest, I still don’t care. Because that is the thing about purpose: it’s meant to happen unapologetically. No one and nothing can stop it if I myself make a choice to be unstoppable. I’m finding ways to turn away from closed doors and make my own entrances and build chairs and tables where there is no space. Every “no” sharpened me, stretched me, and made my work louder, bolder, and more unapologetically me. The obstacles of being the Energizer Bunny that has to continuously run and prove doesn’t stop me. It just gives me a more colorful storyline.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a narrative driven fine artist, illustrator and muralist. My work focuses on social commentary, surrealism, and bold storytelling. I’m known for transforming complex issues like political tension, identity, cultures, resilience into vibrant, meticulously crafted visuals that pull people in and make them think. I do this in multiple visual artforms. My signature style blends realism with symbolic surrealism, challenging how we see power, culture, and even ourselves.
I specialize in large-scale works, pencil drawing and Procreate. I’m proud that my work consistently creates conversation whether it’s in a gallery, on a city wall, or in community spaces. What sets me apart is my ability to merge technical precision with fearless imagination. My work doesn’t whisper; it grabs your attention, raises an eyebrow, and dares you to look deeper. Sometimes that can be uncomfortable but uncomfortablility is often where conversations (and change) start.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
My favorite childhood memory would have to be riding bikes with my dad and my siblings. I wasn’t old enough to ride myself yet but my dad had a child seat that was attached to the back of his bike so that I could take the curves and the hills right alongside them all. It felt like my own personal roller coaster filled with laughter, joy, and simple peace. My mom would always have a treat waiting for us as we’d take one last ride down the massive hill (at least it felt massive) leading down to our house. To this day, I always remember being on the back of my dad’s bike, laughing alongside my older sister and older brother and ending the entire experience with jell-o or a rice krispy treat made by my mom and finished off with her warm embrace.
Pricing:
- Please contact for pricing for originals.
- Please contact for drawing & painting commissions.
- Please contact for mural commissions.
- Please contact for illustration contracts.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thatartnerdcs.com
- Instagram: @that_art_nerd
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/ksmagwood
