Portrait photo by Swurve
Born in San Diego, CA
Lives and works in Brooklyn, NY
Alvin Armstrong’s work is a tribute to humanity at large with a focus on honoring the beauty and power of the Black American community. The artist's commitment to authenticity urges him to confront life’s complexities head-on. While acknowledging that challenges and difficulties arise, Armstrong rejects confining his creative expression solely to narratives of trauma and negativity. Instead, he seeks to encompass the full spectrum of human experience, infusing his work with honesty, resilience, and dignity.
He received an MS in Eastern Medicine and practiced acupuncture in his early career. The self-taught artist had his New York solo debut exhibition This Place Looks Different with Medium Tings in Fall 2020. His first Chelsea solo exhibition To Give and Take was presented at Anna Zorina Gallery in May 2021, curated by Stephanie Baptiste. He was included in the Let Freedom Ring installation curated by Larry Ossei-Mensah at Brooklyn Academy of Music in January 2021 and The Artsy Vanguard 2021 exhibition in December 2021. Armstrong was a Visual Arts Resident at Pioneer Works in Brooklyn in late 2022. His work has been included in Hoop Dreams: Basketball and Contemporary Art at the Everson Museum of Art. His paintings were also exhibited at Flag Art Foundation in New York and Kunstmuseum Schloss Derneburg in Germany. Armstrong’s work has been featured in the New York Times, reviewed in Brooklyn Rail, Hyperallergic, Juxtapoz Magazine, Hypebeast, Luncheon Magazine, Something Curated, Artsy and Epiphany Magazine. In May 2024 Beaux Arts Magazine featured Armstrong's work on the cover of their issue dedicated to the 2024 Olympics.