MIAMI — Artist Amani Lewis has drawn attention from high-profile names including Rihanna, Jay-Z, Alicia Keys and Sharon Stone, but she says her work has always been rooted in something far beyond fame.

Lewis, a Miami-based artist featured in this week’s Fresh Face, said her art began as a personal tool for understanding the world around her and has since evolved into a platform for storytelling, community engagement and mentorship.

Lewis described struggling with traditional educational methods growing up and said visual expression became her primary way of processing experiences.

“I had a hard time learning and picking up different educational tactics,” she said. “The best way for me to learn was in the visual process.”

After high school, Lewis initially considered enlisting in the military, but her family encouraged her to apply to an art school. She was accepted, a moment she said shifted her perspective on her future.

“That’s when I was like, OK, now these ain’t doodles no more,” she said.

Lewis studied abstract expressionism, and her early work reflected that style.

She said her artistic direction shifted in 2015 following the unrest in Baltimore after the death of Freddie Gray, when she began combining abstraction with figurative work.

As her career progressed, her pieces began selling, and she said she made a point of sharing proceeds with people featured in her work.

“That was my way of giving back to the community,” she said. “Having my art mean more than just a pretty picture.”

Now, Lewis says her work has attracted major cultural figures. She recalled a request from Rihanna for a piece she ultimately declined, explaining she makes it a practice to keep at least one work from each collection.

Rihanna later commissioned a different project, Lewis said, involving a portrait of herself and A$AP Rocky for their children’s room.

She also cited sales to Jay-Z and said Sharon Stone has been in contact regarding her work.

Despite her growing profile, Lewis said the city of Miami has played a key role in grounding her creatively.

“I made some of my favorite pieces on the planet here in Miami,” she said, adding that she plans to continue collaborative projects in the city, particularly with younger artists.

Lewis also told Local 10 that she is currently working on a new collection expected to include around 20 pieces and is planning additional community-based art events in the Miami area.

Click here to learn more about the local artist.

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