Sights 4 The Eyes: Andrea “Kahrizma” Hughes

In Living Color- Kahrizma’s strokes showcase her VIVID vision.

Meet Andrea “Kahrizma” Hughes. A veteran, award-winning artist in St. Louis known for her rich and regal pieces. With a keen eye for sharp detail and definition, Andrea’s resume’ of notable works is longer than a colorful nile. From soul stirring canvas candy to eye popping period pieces, Kahrizma is the embodiment of “painting with PASSION”. Let’s learn the smarts behind her arts.

Painter/muralist Andrea “Kahrizma” Hughes had a spark for art since early childhood. “My mother said I was a really good baby. I would sit in a corner and contemplate. When I got a little older, I would take pencils and crayons and just draw.”, shares Hughes. “I’d start drawing people’s faces. I had no idea I was an artist in the making.”

Being a child growing up during segregation, the north St. Louis native went through a period of feeling “restricted” in finding artistic inspiration. “Sometimes you couldn’t go to certain places, but when they couldn’t segregate anymore, my mother took us to everything.”, she recalls. “She took us to symphony, orchestra, ballet, and the art museum.” Falling in love with the art museum, Andrea couldn’t help but notice that something was missing. “I noticed there were no pictures that looked like us.” Inspired to make a difference, she began to create pieces in the COLOR she lived in.

Kahrizma’s artwork can be described as “empowering”. “Most of my pieces are of women. Dark skinned women. I don’t do any slavery pieces or anything like that. I want to show us empowered.”, she explains. “I’m getting to men eventually, but right now I’m focused on femininity.”

Andrea works in various art genres and crafts. “I do a bit of everything. I like collages, sculptors, assemblage. I love assemblage because I can throw everything in there”. Her artwork has been featured in St. Louis American, numerous art exhibitions and organizations, and recently the Angad Arts Hotel, a premier art infused hotel located in St. Louis’ Grand Center Art District.

Andrea Hughes is also the community chairman of the Zuka Arts Guild, and director of the 14th Street Artist Community. “I don’t want to draw just to make a living, I just want to make art for expression. If they like it, great.” The commissioned artist is currently working on several amazing projects across the city. Can’t wait to see what’s next from one of the BEST.