We've noted this time and again on Juxtapoz over the past few years, but there is an absolutely great movement of young figurative painters from NYC at the moment evolving and expanding what the genre can be. One of our favorites at the moment is Asif Hoque, a Brooklyn-based oil-painter "who creates a mythological plain for angelic brown-bodied figures to co-exist and revel in harmony. His body of work is encoded with romantic symbols and celestial creatures, creating a heaven-like environment." He just opened a new solo show, Loverboy, currently on view until September 7, 2019 at New Image Art in Los Angeles

A Bangladeshi immigrant raised in South Florida, Asif says of his paintings, "My body of work is a reflection of the plurality of my identity. I reclaim the exoticism that I represent in America by creating an autobiographical narrative; one that explores my past though continuous tension between figures and nature. Through the use of mixed media, I build friction through application of layers and texture in order to facilitate a conversation."