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Josh.

@letjosh.cook

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Life as I see it.
Chicago. Contemporary Figurative Painter and Digital Artist.
@joshpaintedthat
Inquiries: [email protected]

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Last week to see Midnight Blooms!

This weekend are the final gallery hours for our current show, Midnight Blooms! If you haven't seen the show yet or want one last chance to check it out, visit the gallery at 5538 W. North Ave, anytime Friday between 3-6 PM or Saturday between 1-5. Don't miss it!

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Why is making art important to you? Come see Midnight Blooms during gallery hours, Fridays 3-6 and Saturdays 1-5 at 5538 W. North Ave. Show closing October 10th!!! @intellect.art @letjosh.cook @orange_splatters @avinarts2 @braimahlawal.art

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Meet the amazing artists of “Midnight Blooms,” curated by @jeff.isontherise!!! Come see the show during gallery hours, Fridays 3-6 and Saturdays 1-5 at 5538 W. North Ave. @braimahlawal.art @intellect.art @letjosh.cook @karewillstudio @avinarts2 @orange_splatters

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Joshua Cook is a Chicago-born painter and multidisciplinary artist whose work centers Black life, memory, and emotional truth.

His work “Commencement” is featured in our inaugural exhibition opening September 17. This is one of three works of his in the show.

Commencement
Josh Cook
Oil
30” x 30”
2025

Josh Cook works primarily in oil, acrylic, and digital media to create portraits and figurative scenes shaped by expressive color, atmosphere, and a strong sense of presence. His work explores how personal experiences, memories, popular culture, and everyday imagery influence the way we see the world.

Cook often begins with familiar images or moments, reinterpreting them through painting, drawing, color, and digital media. Rather than capturing a moment exactly as it happened, he is interested in how his perspective of that moment changes over time. Each work becomes a snapshot of a specific point in his life while reflecting the culture and environment surrounding him. This exploration of shifting perspective and memory connects closely to the idea of Magic Hour, when something familiar can suddenly feel entirely new.

Josh’s work will be on view at Magic Hour Gallery, 661 W. Lake St, opening September 17 during Chicago Exhibition Week, September 14 to 20.

Free and open to the public. On view through December.

@letjosh.cook @chicagoexhibitionweek @gertie.chicago

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had so much fun last night @thirdcitystudio for the opening of midnight blooms! it was an honor being able to give these amazing chicago artists their well deserved flowers. each bouquet was inspired by the color, mood, and textures of each of their artists’ works. Thank you @jeff.isontherise and @thirdcitystudio for putting together such a beautiful show .

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in collaboration with @blackmenflowerproject i got to create 10 beautiful bouquets for the artists exhibiting at @thirdcitystudio midnight blooms exhibition curated by @jeff.isontherise each bouquet was inspired by the colors, textures, and mood of each of the artists works. one of my favorite projects so far. 💐🖤

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As the sun sets and shadows fade our minds light the way forward: creativity unfurls as Midnight Blooms.

Joshua Cook @letjosh.cook is a Chicago-born painter and multidisciplinary artist whose work centers Black life, memory, and emotional truth. Working primarily in oil, acrylic, and digital media, he creates portraits and figurative scenes known for expressive color, atmosphere, and a strong sense of presence. His work often reflects quiet moments of interiority and nostalgia rooted in lived experience, exploring cultural storytelling, personal memory, and the emotional landscape of everyday Black life.

See his work at our next show, Midnight Blooms, curated by @jeff.isontherise. Register for the opening on the 29th with the link in our bio!

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First look at the artwork!

These are selections from each exhibiting artist's work, and we'll be highlighting the individual artists and showing more of their work in the next weeks as we get closer to the show.

See all the art in person at the opening on August 29th! Register now with the link in our bio.

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Announcing our next show!

"Midnight Blooms," curated by @jeff.isontherise, is an exhibit of nine contemporary Black Chicago artists.

A show about the unseen labor of the artist, and the night as a metaphor for ideas that defy the common culture of the day, "Midnight Blooms" is the first show in our resident curator series.

Register for the event in our bio! Hope to see you there!

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Last night was everything. 🧡❤️💙

Thank you. From the bottom of our hearts. To every person who bought a ticket, made a donation, shared a post, tagged a friend, or simply showed up and poured their energy into that room at Little Black Pearl.

BALA 2026 was a night we will never forget. And it happened because of this community.

Thank you to our honorees Monica Haslip, Blake Lenoir, Janell Nelson, and Robert Earl Paige for gracing us with your presence and your legacy. You are the heartbeat of what we are building.

Thank you to our sponsors, partners, and raffle prize donors for believing in this work and making this night possible.

Thank you to all of the volunteers and the amazingggg team!

And thank you to every Black artist in Chicago who keeps showing up, keeps creating, and keeps reminding us why this work matters.

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Last day of Common Sense at Hairpin. Wanted memorialize my first show at visual art director here at Hairpin. Super excited to see the artists again as they pick up their work. Also looking forward to the directors meeting this evening with the directors and the new board members. Next time you should come @robertlewisclark @ggriffinfineart @rayatstudios65 to an opening#! #artexhibition #logansquare #artcenter

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Introducing our FOR FREE? video series. 🖤

This year’s BALA theme, FOR FREE?, is built around a question every Black artist knows deeply. And we wanted to hear directly from the artists in our community about what that question means to them and how ILA has shown up along the way.

First up is Joshua Cook, a participant in ILA’s Winter 2025 Artists in Residence program. In his video Joshua shares how ILA supported his creative journey, connected him with an incredibly supportive community of artists, and helped him feel more rooted in Chicago’s creative culture.

This is exactly why we do this work. Watch. Share. And stay tuned for more. 🖤

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