Posted by All Good Staff on March 10 2016

Meet Josh:

Joshua Stewart, also known as KOOZ is an illustrative composer of the emotions and feels that encompass this life. Hailing from Manchester NH, he has embarked on a journey following his passion to connect with the masses through his expression of art.

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Drawn to a certain brew of organic and mechanical elements, KOOZ has made a name for himself through the feeling he creates in his work. Traditionally working with a collaboration of dipping pen and digital color elements, his style of production perfectly plays into the dynamic of mechanical and natural characteristics of his illustrations.

Check Out More Of KOOZ's Work

How did you get started?

What began as a hobby to pass time, Kooz quickly felt a more serious affect towards art in his younger years.

“I started drawing on friends skateboards and doodling through classes and during free periods in highschool. My art teacher in highschool pushed me to try to make a portfolio of finished works and apply to art schools. Ended up going to a national portfolio day in Boston for a review and was accepted on the spot by the head of the Illustration major at the New Hampshire Institute of art.”

“Over the course of two years I'd built a name for myself and pretty much latched on to musicians to use my style and create marketable products. Once I began to travel and sell my work at festivals and meeting people and making connections with people over my work. I started to realize that I was starting to form my own identity as an artist, and somewhat of a switch shifted in my head where I wanted to go with my work. I didn't want to have to use a musician, trend, or drug culture references to sell art.

Finding solace in himself and the raw emotions of the people around him gave him the solidarity to make his own niche.

“Now that I make work that is more focused around conveying themes of love, happiness, relationships I just feel more content with myself as an artist.”

Where do you turn for inspiration?

“I'm inspired most recently by everyday connections and feels. I like to express them with organic and mechanical elements coming together and making a bond. I like to hop on the "feel train" and make work that everyone can connect with. Everyone has felt love, sadness, happiness, or lost. When I can create work that people look at and say they connect with it in a way that's completely their own it makes me truly happy.”

To be put simply, Josh is inspired by life. With a sweet tooth for the music scene he absorbs the world around him and creates an expression of those experiences that can really resonate within us.

“People and stories really inspire me and getting away from everything and taking a break from the art game to fill my heart is what it's all about.”

What are you currently working on ?

Currently putting together my BFA show coming up in May. Here are some of the pieces:

If we gave you the aux chord, what are we listening too?

Currently love listening to Odesza for the feels. As well as a band my roomie actually got me into called Turnover and the whole Peripheral Vision album is amazing for the down days.

Anything else you'd like to share? Feel free to touch on anything.

For artists coming up and trying to get a foot in the music scene or build a following I always try to express how important it is to appreciate everyone who supports you. To be yourself and always try to grow and connect with others. You can make amazing art, but nobody wants just art, they want to support someone they share values, feels, and activities. Especially within the music scene we have such a wonderful community and it's so important to appreciate that, and learn from each other. Thanks All Good Records for hitting me up for this interview.

Show KOOZ some love:

Instagram // Facebook // Website

Check out some of our favorites from Kooz below:

Show KOOZ some love:

Instagram // Facebook // Website