LA native and current resident, Kohshin Finley (b. 1989), earned his BFA from Otis College of Art and Design.

Kohshin’s latest works depict people of color as they attempt to answer the question, “how do I survive in America?” The subjects of these paintings are captured in a vulnerable state of being, at their most honest and revealing. Born and raised in the racial and social climate of South Central Los Angeles, Kohshin taps into his own history and experiences to create each painting. Prior to each painting he writes stories stemming from those experiences to tell a personal story that takes on new life within the canvas. These poems and phrases are then written in diaristic scrawls throughout the paintings as if the characters wrote them. Kohshin creates paintings in this way to showcase his own vulnerabilities, and to give the viewer permission to discover something about themselves when viewing his paintings.

His work has been exhibited domestically in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Mesa, Honolulu, Des Moines and Cedar Rapids. Notable venues he has shown at include The Honolulu Museum of Art School and Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum. Highlighted collections his work are included in are The Stronach Collection, The Ironeye Retna Collection and the collection of Anna Maria Horsford. His work has been featured in Huffington Post, Hypoallergic, Supersonic Art, LA I’m Yours and VoyageLA. Notable printed publications include Studio Visit Magazine and Los Angeles DCA African-American Heritage History Month publication.