Mural Collaborators John Raux and J.T. Daniels to Hold Exhibition at Leedy-Voulkos Art Center
Kansas City – Notable mural collaborators, John Raux and J.T. Daniels will be hosting an individual exhibition of their most intimate works this August at the renowned Leedy-Voulkos Art Center.
From Public Murals to Personal Artwork
Over the years, the duo has spent countless hours side-by-side on scaffolding, creating vibrant murals all across Kansas City, transforming the cityscape with the stroke of their spray cans. But as they transition to this exhibition, the focus is less on the sheer size of their works but rather the shift in artistic expression—one that departs from commercial and community concerns to concentrate on personal narratives and experiences.
Artists Bound by Similar Life Experiences
Both Daniels and Raux share a potent sense of uneasiness in their sense of belonging. Daniels, biracial and son of a white mother from Iowa and a Black father from Kansas City, finds himself constantly negotiating his identity. Similarly, Raux, born in Senegal and a French speaker till he moved to Kansas City at 5, has experienced a similar sense of dissonance. Both artists have navigated faith, experiencing it through orthodox Christian belief, only to grow disconnected over time. Within this shared sense of internal conflict, they both found a common language to explore new directions in their artwork.
Unifying Their Artistic Processes
The artists’ creative processes additionally find symmetry; both begin with sweeping gestures and organic movements. However, while Daniels transitions towards the portrayal of human faces and figures, Raux veers towards abstraction—crafting exuberant lines and evolving shapes.
Exploring Their Individual Voices
Daniels, who once focused on commercially-driven art and murals, has gradually shifted toward seeking out his unique voice. “This has been a process of realizing what I want to paint,” he shared. On the other hand, Raux reignited his passion for painting after a series of personal and professional upheavals in 2023. Having relocated his studio to Bad Seed, he now takes this opportunity to reflect on his journey and reinterpret his chaotic process—an integral part of his art. He added, “The chaos is absolutely part of my process. It’s always been, and I actually embrace and thrive in the messiness of it.”
Breaking Away from the Norm
Facing the upcoming show, Daniels reveals that he has delved deep into his psyche, distancing himself from his past process of painting community figures. Instead, his new works convey layers of a person’s identity and complex emotions. “This show is about my own story, my own internal work,” Daniels explained. He emphasized that the faces in his new work do not necessarily represent people. Instead, they could be “a shape, a voice, or they might just be a feeling or how a space gets filled.”
Upcoming Exhibition
The joint exhibition by Raux and Daniels will run at the Leedy-Voulkos Art Center, located at 2012 Baltimore Ave., from August 2 through October 25. This exhibition is anticipated to provide an insightful window into the artists’ individual journeys and thought processes. For more information, visit www.leedy-voulkos.com.
