Abstract Painting, Why? (Limited Offering) – New!

Abstraction often leaves people asking, “Why?” This class takes that question as its starting point. We’ll explore abstraction as a space where painting reinvents itself, embracing tradition, breaking boundaries, and responding to the world around us. Through guided exercises and open projects, you’ll experiment with color, form, surface, and gesture to discover how meaning can emerge without objective representation. Along the way, we’ll look at key moments in the history of abstract painting, from its early breakthroughs to contemporary practices. Open to all levels, this class invites you to expand your visual language and explore the freedom of painting without boundaries.

Special Notes

• Accessibility notes: Many artmaking processes require the ability to sit or stand for extended periods of time, fine motor skills/finger dexterity, repetitive motions, vision, and some amount of physical strength. VisArts values making classes accessible to everyone, and is always happy to work with students to make accommodations when possible. Please reach out to [email protected] with specific questions related to accessibility or accommodations.
  
  This class is moderately physical. Students should be comfortable standing for extended periods and using arm and hand motion for painting and mixing. The act of mixing paint, handling brushes, and setting up compositions can involve repeated shoulder and wrist motion. Accommodations can be made for seated workspaces if needed.
  
  Paid studio access is available through our Studio Access Program. Please visit visarts.org for more information.
  Classes are confirmed one week prior to the start date. In order to help us confirm classes, please register as early as possible.

About the Instructor

William Okaily

William Okaily is a multidisciplinary artist, educator, and writer whose practice bridges visual and performing arts, scenography, and critical research. His work explores perception and the intersections of materiality and myth, often incorporating deconstructive methodologies and oral histories. Influenced by East Asian philosophies of Nothingness, he investigates what he calls "the grandeur in the granular"—how subtle details evoke visceral responses and reveal hidden complexities.

William earned an MFA in Multidisciplinary Art from the Maryland Institute College of Art, where he also pursued a Minor in Curatorial Practice and a Certificate in the College Teaching of Art. He holds a BA in Studio Art with a Minor in Media and Communication from the American University of Beirut and completed his French Baccalaureate in Philosophy and Literature.

His work has been exhibited in Lebanon and the United States, and he participated in the Antioch Recovery Project Research Lab at Johns Hopkins University. Currently, he contributes accessible art criticism to RVA Magazine and teaches Painting and Drawing at the Visual Art Center of Richmond and the Cultural Art Center at Glen Allen. William fosters critical perspectives and innovative pedagogies, integrating radicalism, critical thought, and risk-taking into dynamic learning environments.

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