The curious character featured above was fashioned in 2015 by the nomadic Indonesian self-taught artist Imam Sucahyo. Titled Aku Sudah Melihatnya — I Have Seen It, the work was created with acrylic, marker, pencil and pen on canvas. What follows are several more curious characters brought to life by self-taught artists and seen in settings ranging from galleries to art fairs.

Norwegian self-taught artist Trude Viken, “Black Scene,” 2024, Oil on canvas

Washington-based Anne Marie Grgich in collaboration with Sandy Combes, 2024, “The Libertines” Embroidered fabric collage

NYC-based Argentine artist Alejandro Caiazza “Summer Girls,” 2024, Mixed media on canvas

The late self-taught Serbian artist Ilija Bosilj Bašičević, “The Descent of the Holy Ghost,” 1968, Oil on pressed wood

Photos of artorks: 1, 3-5 Lois Stavsky; 4 Shalom Stavsky

Featured above in our ongoing series showcasing couples is “La Parada Puertorriqueña,” fashioned with acrylic on canvas by the Puerto Rican self-taught artist Joshua Nazario. Several more images of couples in a range of styles by self-taught artists follow:

Self-taught African American folk artist Bill Traylor, “Untitled,” circa 1939–1942, Graphite, colored pencil, and tempera on card

The late New York-born, self-taught John Serl, “Waltz,” 1963, Oil on wood panel

Pittsburgh-based largely self-taught artist Bill Miller, “T.V. Dinner,” Collage, 2022

NYC-based Argentine artist Alejandro Caiazza, “Lipsticking to the Story,” 2025, Mixed media

The late Canadian self-taught artist Matthew Wong, “The Searchers,” 2016, Acrylic on paper

Photos of artworks by Lois Stavsky and Tara Murray

Conceived by Fountain House Gallery artist Michael Kronenberg and co-curated with Sean Alday and Mikki Nylund, Go! Figure! showcases dozens of intriguing interpretations of the human figure. Featured above is “New York City Zen,” a whimsical and inventively textured mixed-media work by Alejandro Caiazza, a prolific and passionate self-taught artist born in Argentina. Several more images captured last week while visiting Go! Figure! follow:

Bronx-born multidisciplinary artist and art educator Anna Macon, “Anyone wanna buy a heart,” 2026, Acrylic and oil on canva

Multidisciplinary artist Abigael Fly, “Achilles Come Down,” 2021-2026, Watercolor, acrylic, glitter acrylic, rhinestones, 3D charms and E6000 on box canvas

The ever-inventive self-taught artist Nicolaus J. Myers, “Off trail in the psychosphere,” 2026, Oil paints on canvas, charred burned wood with inlaid stained glass

Arizona-born, New York-based conceptual artist Martin Morris, “C’est Une Pipe, “2026, Pens, markers, acrylics and acrylic polymer emulsion

The distinctly talented self-taught artist Roger Jones, “Love You,” 2026, Acrylic on canvas

The alluring painter and illustrator Elizabeth Borisov, “At the bus stop,” 2026, Acrylic on canvas

Located at 702 Ninth Avenue at 48th Street in Manhattan, Fountain House Gallery hours are: Tuesday 12 – 6 p.m., Wednesday 12 – 5 p.m., Thursday and Friday 12 – 6 p.m. and Saturday 1 – 7 p.m. Go! Figure! remains on view until October 28, 2026.

Note: Fountain House Gallery and Studio provides an environment where artists living with mental illness can express their creative visions, exhibit their work, and challenge the stigma that surrounds mental illness.

Photos: Lois Stavsky

A first-of-its-kind community space dedicated to celebrating human diversity through arts and culture, Positive Exposure Gallery is presenting Woven Together: TOUCH through September 30. The exhibition features a wondrous array of fiber art created by members of the Intertwine Arts community. Pictured above is Happy Bouncy, a vibrant, inventive work by Queens-based Mexican artist Alejandro Ballinas. Several more images captured while viewing the exhibition follow:

Queens-based Haitian American AHRC artist Sydney Buford, “Framed Tapestry

AHRC teaching artist and ART BreakOUT cofounder Bonnie Astor, “Sisters”

Intertwine Arts teaching artist Gabriela and AHRC teaching artist Bonnie Astor alongside artwork by Intertwine Arts fiber artist Chen

IAHD Bainbridge textile artist Kenny Reed, “Yellow KR with Beads”

AHRC artist Amanda Alvarez, “The Blanket of Life“

Brooklyn-based AHRC artist Malik Dillard Jakubowicz, “Jacket”

Positive Exposure Gallery is located at on the fourth floor of 83 Maiden Lane, headquarters for AHRC New York City, an organization that supports individuals with developmental disabilities. A public Touch Tour will take place this Saturday, September 19, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. You can, also, schedule a visit by calling 212-420-1931.

Photos: 1 & 2 Bonnie Astor, 3 & 4 Courtesy Bonnie Astor, 5-7 Lois Stavsky

Visual artist and self-taught musician Issa Ibrahim began recording music following a 19-year confinement at Creedmoor Psychiatric Hospital. His new album, Bubblegum Blues, arrives one year after the release of God’s Radio and continues his musical return following a seven-year hiatus. After listening to the album and viewing several excerpts from its accompanying videos, we posed a few questions to Issa:

Can you tell us about the title? Why did you choose to name your new album Bubblegum Blues?

It’s a homage to the music I grew up with, largely 1970s pop and blues. My dad was a jazz musician, and my mom had a huge record collection.

Your songs are a delightful fusion of folk music, punk-pop and the blues. Who were some of your main influences?

There are many. Among them are The Beatles, Chuck Berry, Bob Dylan, Brian Wilson and both Elvises—Elvis Presley and Elvis Costello.

The album opens with “We Got the Bomb,” a sober, though playfully rendered, song. Why did you decide to begin Bubblegum Blues on such an apocalyptic note?

I felt it was a powerful way to open the album, as it is fatalistic but realistic.

In “Mary Jane,” written in March 2012, you fervently condemn marijuana use. Given your own experience with its darker side, how do you feel about the proliferation of weed dispensaries? They seem to be everywhere, sometimes several on the same block.

We’re living in crazy times, and I understand that people use different substances to get by. I myself am on tranquilizers.

This album seems to have something for everyone—from the playful “Jacqueline,” inspired by a brief romance, to “Complicated,” a somber reflection on “workaday zombies.” Who do you see as the audience for Bubblegum Blues?

YesEveryone will find something there!

How can folks check out Bubblegum Blues once it’s released on Friday?

It will be available on all platforms including: YouTube, Spotify and Amazon Music.

Interview by Lois Stavsky with Tara Murray Images: 1 Album cover, 2-4 Screenshots from videos seen on Issa’s Instagram

The intriguingly striking artwork featured above was fashioned by the self-taught West Philadelphia-based artist King Saladeen. Teeming with the energy of the streets, the mixed media collage painting is titled “On the Avenue.” Several more artworks featuring a range of cityscapes captured in varied settings from galleries to museums to art fairs follow:

Chicago-based self-taught artist Pizza in the Rain aka PITR, “Globe Slicers,” 2026, Acrylic on panel

The late, Chinese American largely self-taught artist Martin Wong, “Big Heat,” 1986, Acrylic on linen

Fountain House Gallery artist Marina Marchand, “Crimson City,” 2023, Watercolor, gouache, acrylic and ink on aquaboard

Queens-based self-taught artist Jordan Sullivan, “Auto Zone, ” 2025, Acrylic on Canvas

Photos of artworks by Tara Murray and Lois Stavsky

The surrealistic landscape pictured above was painted by the largely self-taught Japanese artist Sumiko Sakamoto, a master of allegorical landscapes. Titled As Time Went By, it was rendred with acrylic paint on canvas in 2024.

What follows are several more images of landscapes — created by self-taught artists in a range of styles and media — as seen in a variety of settings from art fairs to galleries and museums.

The late Brazilian self-taught artist Madalena Santos Reinbolt, “Untitled,” Oil on canvas

Pittsburgh-based largely self-taught artist Bill Miller, “Lil Bill (Metropolitan Park),” 2005, Vintage linoleum collage

The late Austrian Roma self-taught multidisciplinary artist and Holocaust survivor Ceija Stojka, “Untitled,” 1993, Acrylic on paper

Brooklyn-based, self-taught artist Joe Coleman, “Voyage to Candyland,” 2026, Acrylic on panel

Photos of artworks by Tara Murray and Lois Stavsky

On view through July 24 at Open Studio is a mesmerizing exhibition featuring hundreds of artworks by participants in progressive studios across the United States. The gallery’s walls are covered from floor to ceiling, while bins overflow with a wildly diverse range of works, all created by artists living with a variety of disabilities. Priced from under $100 to $1,000, the artwork s are available on a “cash-and-carry” basis.

Featured above is a segment of “True Colors,” drawn with colored pencils by California-based Cedars Life artist Gill Hines. What follows are several more images we captured while visiting FLAT OUT soon after it opened last month:

Fountain House Gallery artist Laura Anne Walker, “Not Turtleneck, Catneck Sweater,” Mixed media on watercolor paper

The NYC-based Community Access Art Collective late artist Diana Zelnick, “Untitled,” 2018, Pastels on paper (large segment of sketchbook drawing)

California-based ECF Art Centers artist Adriana Homsi, Untitled, Ink on paper

Fountain House Gallery artist Alyson Vega, from her Cityscapes series, Mixed-media collage

California-based Slingshot / Alpha Art Studio artist Michelle Oliner, “Silly Hat,” 2018, Foam print, colored pencil on paper

Brooklyn-based LAND Gallery artist Robert Latchman, “Black & Blue Bridge,” 2025, Mixed media on cardboard (large segment)

Located at 127 Henry Street, Open Studio is open Thursday-Saturday, 12-6 pm.

Photo credits: 1-4 Tara Murray; 5-7 Lois Stavsky

On view through July 15 at Fountain House Gallery is the fourth annual Compulsive Genius: New Work from Fountain House Studio Artists. Curated by Austin Losada, the exhibition showcases works exploring a diverse range of themes in varied media and styles by 10 artists who had participated in the Fountain House Studio in Long Island City over the past year.

Featured above are two artist books—Disbelief and Space Travel or Time Trivial—from self-taught Puerto Rican artist  Alyson Vega’s captivating book installation. A small selection of images captured on our recent visit to the intriguing exhibition follow:

Colombia-born painter and designer Guiomar Giraldo-Baron,”Garden V,” 2026, Acrylic on paper

Self-taught mixed media artist and painter Angela Rogers,“Calliope,” 2026, Fabric, wire, yarn, string, paint marker on wood panel with stream of consciousness writing

Self-taught, multidisciplinary Dominican American artist Christopher Sybil, “Untitled (Flag),” 2020-2026, Newsprint, graphite, transfers, oil stick and oil paint on canvas

Self-taught artist Maxx Reith, “Urban Beat,” 2026, Acrylic on canvas

Self-taught artist Roger Jones, “Love 40 Ways,” 2026, Acrylic and marker on canvas

Located at 702 Ninth Avenue at 48th Street in Manhattan, Fountain House Gallery hours are: Tuesday 12 – 6 p.m., Wednesday 12 – 5 p.m., Thursday and Friday 12 – 6 p.m. and Saturday 1 – 7 p.m.

Note: Fountain House Gallery and Studio provides an environment where artists living with mental illness can express their creative visions, exhibit their work, and challenge the stigma that surrounds mental illness.

Photos of artworks: 1, 3, 4-6 Lois Stavsky; 2 Tara Murray