https://www.yakthestudio.com/portfolio-collections/portfolio/tattoos 2026-05-06 https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45a8c7_736ed6d448274fe58ef79b81d821c708~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_1440,h_1921,al_c/45a8c7_736ed6d448274fe58ef79b81d821c708~mv2.png https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45a8c7_30e7840ac1d0496e93e685fd861c7e03~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_1440,h_1921,al_c/45a8c7_30e7840ac1d0496e93e685fd861c7e03~mv2.png https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45a8c7_ad69cd73ce9b4b6b8d3bd0792e1f5956~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_1440,h_1920,al_c/45a8c7_ad69cd73ce9b4b6b8d3bd0792e1f5956~mv2.png https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45a8c7_8673abbc08a94fc996d5fe1f3f873183~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_1440,h_1921,al_c/45a8c7_8673abbc08a94fc996d5fe1f3f873183~mv2.png Archive-style collection of tattoos created by Ken Oswald “__yak” Vann Jr. over a decade ago, presented under the title Permanent Markers. The works show early tattoo pieces on skin, reflecting portraiture, lettering, symbolism, cultural identity, personal memory, and hand-drawn linework from the artist’s formative creative years before returning to painting and mixed-media practice. https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45a8c7_be24cc4fd775424b8fa130ca8fd912a8~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_1440,h_1920,al_c/45a8c7_be24cc4fd775424b8fa130ca8fd912a8~mv2.png https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45a8c7_540b71e9455e45cd83a149eb2bcf5fdf~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_1440,h_1921,al_c/45a8c7_540b71e9455e45cd83a149eb2bcf5fdf~mv2.png https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45a8c7_8859643a01a34540baadc3c2527c986e~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_1440,h_1921,al_c/45a8c7_8859643a01a34540baadc3c2527c986e~mv2.png https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45a8c7_df8c824d04994b10b6c9d83c66b5439c~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_1440,h_1921,al_c/45a8c7_df8c824d04994b10b6c9d83c66b5439c~mv2.png https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45a8c7_38c0523cb2e544e8a5b946d390a55b2a~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_1440,h_1920,al_c/45a8c7_38c0523cb2e544e8a5b946d390a55b2a~mv2.png https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45a8c7_2fefc463da52472088676629b3ade65d~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_1440,h_1921,al_c/45a8c7_2fefc463da52472088676629b3ade65d~mv2.png https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45a8c7_77a8f75d507e44ed937e34e48126e280~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_1440,h_1920,al_c/45a8c7_77a8f75d507e44ed937e34e48126e280~mv2.png https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45a8c7_9e7fcad7fda04d8989d1e480f10103bd~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_1440,h_1920,al_c/45a8c7_9e7fcad7fda04d8989d1e480f10103bd~mv2.png https://www.yakthestudio.com/portfolio-collections/reignited/limited-edition-print-series 2026-06-13 https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45a8c7_729e68cb2b034838899666e6c921ee56~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_2000,h_2000,al_c/45a8c7_729e68cb2b034838899666e6c921ee56~mv2.jpg Framed Abstract Artwork Print by Ken Oswald "__yak" Vann. Jr. https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45a8c7_2279dce5a41a48fc93f5c4ce4cb50d0f~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_3000,h_3000,al_c/45a8c7_2279dce5a41a48fc93f5c4ce4cb50d0f~mv2.jpg “15×15 mixed-media collage on unstretched canvas featuring a black stencil image of six young boys standing together, surrounded by torn newspaper, Bible text, and magazine clippings on a textured surface with plaster, coffee stains, red paint splatters, and gold leaf accents; phrases like ‘The Next Generation,’ ‘Potential,’ and ‘Discipline’ appear throughout.” https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45a8c7_07a454fe5c254749b43794f2a7b134af~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_3000,h_3000,al_c/45a8c7_07a454fe5c254749b43794f2a7b134af~mv2.jpg Framed Abstract Artwork Print by Ken Oswald"__yak" Vann. Jr. https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45a8c7_4f15175a971d436296a11343d2f5c87c~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_1536,h_1024,al_c/45a8c7_4f15175a971d436296a11343d2f5c87c~mv2.png Framed Abstract Artwork Print by Ken Oswald"__yak" Vann. Jr. https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45a8c7_a2ee1dc4e49a44ff9326113f59a65928~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_1536,h_1024,al_c/45a8c7_a2ee1dc4e49a44ff9326113f59a65928~mv2.png Framed Abstract Artwork Print by Ken Oswald"__yak" Vann. Jr. https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45a8c7_211aa1cb7672469d8fc1b41bec762ed1~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_1536,h_1024,al_c/45a8c7_211aa1cb7672469d8fc1b41bec762ed1~mv2.png Framed Abstract Artwork Print by Ken Oswald"__yak" Vann. Jr. https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45a8c7_0697e8a673b341419c2f39bdce64f1be~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_1536,h_1024,al_c/45a8c7_0697e8a673b341419c2f39bdce64f1be~mv2.png Framed Abstract Artwork Print by Ken Oswald"__yak" Vann. Jr. https://www.yakthestudio.com/portfolio-collections/portfolio/"forgotten-fire-the-lost-works-of-ken-oswald-__yak-vann-jr" 2026-05-06 https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45a8c7_2660044154c64356a3ecd2bd623c25e0~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_1448,h_1086,al_c/45a8c7_2660044154c64356a3ecd2bd623c25e0~mv2.png Digital collection cover for "Forgotten Fire: The Lost Works of Ken Oswald ‘__yak’ Vann Jr.” featuring a curated body of rediscovered artworks created over a decade ago. The collection includes political paintings, cultural portraits, Greek-letter tribute commissions, unfinished studies, and mixed-media works on paper, wood, and archival surfaces. The image presents the lost works as an archive of early artistic development, connecting themes of Black identity, memory, resistance, satire, political critique, and cultural preservation to the artist’s later "REIGNITED" series. https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45a8c7_374796c4396b4bb2a23006727a7f1225~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_1086,h_1448,al_c/45a8c7_374796c4396b4bb2a23006727a7f1225~mv2.png A gallery-style image of a mixed-media watercolor painting in a thick rustic dark-wood frame with a deep black mat. The artwork shows a ghostly black-and-white child figure, interpreted as Ruby Bridges, walking with a small dark school bag while being escorted from school. Her white dress stands out against a fractured background of black architectural blocks, smoky blue marks, red and pink washes, and rust-orange staining. The top edge of the heavy paper is perforated like a torn notebook page, reinforcing the school reference. The surrounding frame is heavy and handmade-looking, giving the piece the feeling of a recovered historical relic or shrine. https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45a8c7_758dae56453546558b66c6beef2edf78~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_1086,h_1448,al_c/45a8c7_758dae56453546558b66c6beef2edf78~mv2.png A gallery-style mock-up of a framed political parody painting mounted on a clean white wall above a concrete floor. The artwork sits inside a thick, rustic dark-stained wooden frame with a black backing. Centered within it is a distressed, jagged-edged acrylic painting on paper parodying the iconic “ain't no we” poster. A Hillary Clinton-like figure in a blue work shirt flexes her arm in the Rosie the Riveter pose against a yellow background, while the slogan at the top has been altered with rough red paint to read “We CAN’T Do It.” The painting’s creases, torn scraps, scuffs, rough paper edges, and worn surface remain visible as intentional parts of the work. https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45a8c7_941c14b57a0c4b9fb77231028d17b13b~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_1536,h_1024,al_c/45a8c7_941c14b57a0c4b9fb77231028d17b13b~mv2.png Gallery-style mock-up of Crazy White Devils...Again!, an 18 x 24 inch watercolor on heavy watercolor paper, shown in a dark wooden frame with a black mat on a white museum wall. The artwork depicts a rider on horseback facing away from the viewer beneath a cropped green “Standing Rock Reservation” road sign, with industrial imagery, a social media notification icon, and a red breaking-news banner reading “Crazy White Devils...Again!” along the bottom. A wall label beside the framed work identifies the piece as a lost work from around 2016, created in response to the Standing Rock standoff against the Dakota Access Pipeline. https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45a8c7_3938e73a63004f6ba099a829c99920e2~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_1448,h_1086,al_c/45a8c7_3938e73a63004f6ba099a829c99920e2~mv2.png Three unfinished 16 × 20 acrylic paintings on canvas hang side by side on a clean white gallery wall. The left canvas has a yellow background with splattered paint, a large white unfinished cloud-like form with drips, and the partial face of a young figure in a blue cap emerging from the bottom edge. The center canvas has a red background with black splatter marks, a large white dripping form, and a young figure leaning downward in quiet concentration. The right canvas has a pink-red background with splatter marks, a large white dripping form, and a seated figure bent forward near a small animal-like shape. Together, the works use graffiti-like splatter, portraiture, blank space, and unfinished passages to suggest memory, silence, youth, and language still forming. https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45a8c7_c4aef3458611453cb75c3c09f3ceb8b8~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_1448,h_1086,al_c/45a8c7_c4aef3458611453cb75c3c09f3ceb8b8~mv2.png Three rustic dark-wood framed artworks hang in a row on a clean neutral gallery wall. The largest piece on the left features red and yellow sunburst rays behind black stencil-like figures, including a central figure with a raised arm. The middle work shows a loose watercolor-style performer or musician in gray, yellow, green, and red washes. The smaller work on the right is a warm-toned portrait of a person in a hat with a hand near their mouth. The scene is softly lit and presented as a polished gallery-style installation. https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45a8c7_64b1f9d2531b42f1aec2e65675d09fa1~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_1122,h_1402,al_c/45a8c7_64b1f9d2531b42f1aec2e65675d09fa1~mv2.png A framed 18 × 24 watercolor painting on heavy paper hangs against a light wall. The artwork is divided into four distressed, poster-like panels in red, orange, yellow, blue, black, and white. In the upper-right panel, a black-and-white stenciled figure representing Assata Shakur appears with her head lowered and hands gathered near her chest, suggesting vulnerability and arrest. The surrounding panels contain fragmented silhouettes, heavy black marks, and saturated washes that evoke police authority, heat, violence, media distortion, and archival rupture. The painting is mounted inside a rustic dark wooden frame with a black backing, giving the lost work the feel of a preserved political artifact. https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45a8c7_a1bf6f5ade974de989097adc630e1e09~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_1448,h_1086,al_c/45a8c7_a1bf6f5ade974de989097adc630e1e09~mv2.png A framed watercolor portrait of college-era Barack Obama hangs on a neutral gallery wall. The painting shows him wearing a wide-brimmed brown hat and a pale collared shirt, his hand raised near his mouth as if laughing, thinking, or smoking. Loose washes of blue, violet, red, and brown shape his face and clothing. Across the torn, irregular top edge of the paper, faded block letters read “LEGALIZE IT.” The artwork is mounted in a rustic dark wood frame with a black mat, giving the piece a recovered, archival feel. https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45a8c7_02e35f24499e455cbcc47d60bf4f1894~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_1024,h_1536,al_c/45a8c7_02e35f24499e455cbcc47d60bf4f1894~mv2.png An 8 × 10 inch acrylic painting on cedar wood honoring Zeta Phi Beta Sorority. The composition features a layered mixed-media-style portrait with a warm brown cedar background and a rough white painted silhouette framing the central image. Near the top, a woman wears a wide golden hat marked with the Greek letters “ΖΦΒ,” with deep blue shadowing beneath the brim. To the left, a dark figure and expressive hand gesture add movement and contrast. On the right, a smaller standing woman in a white coat appears collaged into the scene. At the bottom, a white dove emerges from abstract blue, green, and red painted forms. The work uses Zeta Phi Beta’s royal blue and white symbolism while preserving a raw, handmade, archival quality. https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45a8c7_eb6fe8177aaa48c4b3e284b7d0c5ac3d~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_1086,h_1448,al_c/45a8c7_eb6fe8177aaa48c4b3e284b7d0c5ac3d~mv2.png An 8 x 10 inch acrylic painting on scalloped cedar wood honoring Omega Psi Phi fraternity, featuring a dense, symbolic collage-like scene. A bearded male figure in deep purple tones lifts or cradles a small child with raised arms, surrounded by shadowed figures, a snarling dog or wolf head, and warm brown cedar textures. The shaped wooden plaque has a distressed amber finish, giving the work the feel of a handmade devotional object or fraternity tribute. https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45a8c7_53a5232a73524247b9ab8aa9b2e1ce18~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_1448,h_1086,al_c/45a8c7_53a5232a73524247b9ab8aa9b2e1ce18~mv2.png A framed 18 × 24 mixed-media watercolor painting of Muhammad Ali rendered in a high-contrast black-and-white stencil style. Ali appears at the center with his mouth open and arms in motion, surrounded by explosive washes of orange, yellow, red, green, and black. Dark circular marks move across the upper background like lights, punches, or camera lenses, while red and green fields anchor the lower half. The paper sits inside a black mat and dark rustic wooden frame, giving the piece a recovered, archival gallery presentation. https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45a8c7_1f129a907c974cc59aa7a77f421e7fac~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_1122,h_1402,al_c/45a8c7_1f129a907c974cc59aa7a77f421e7fac~mv2.png An 8 × 10 acrylic painting on cedar wood honoring Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. The composition features a warm reddish-brown textured background with an Africa-shaped opening at the center. Inside the opening, a young Black woman with hoop earrings looks upward with her hands clasped near her chin, surrounded by layered green imagery, a frog motif, pink-and-green symbolic forms, and a repeated group of women in green gathered like a chorus or sorority line. The piece has an intimate, devotional quality, connecting AKA sisterhood, ancestry, transformation, and collective legacy. https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45a8c7_884f7337aaf64ce2bf0d779d9491d71e~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_1122,h_1402,al_c/45a8c7_884f7337aaf64ce2bf0d779d9491d71e~mv2.png A framed 18 × 24 watercolor painting hangs on a neutral gallery wall. Inside a thick, dark reddish-brown wooden frame, three distressed black stencil-like figures stand against a bold red-and-yellow radial burst. The central figure raises one arm upward, referencing the 1968 Olympic protest by Tommie Smith and John Carlos. The work has a raw, poster-like protest aesthetic, with rough watercolor textures, fragmented silhouettes, and visible paper perforations along the top edge. https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45a8c7_67c32e594ed04d669d673b4ea7e2383f~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_1122,h_1402,al_c/45a8c7_67c32e594ed04d669d673b4ea7e2383f~mv2.png A dramatic charcoal and conté drawing on archival paper depicts a Ferguson protester in motion at night, lunging across the street while handling a bright flaming tear-gas canister. The figure wears a loose American flag–patterned shirt, dark pants, and sneakers, with long dark hair obscuring the face. A large plume of pale smoke erupts on the left, while a ghostly background figure raises both arms behind the firelit haze. A vehicle marked “AUG 14” and a “Speed Limit 20” sign appear in the dark urban background. The scene is rendered with rough, urgent linework, smoky blacks, fiery yellows and oranges, and a tense atmosphere of protest, surveillance, and resistance. https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45a8c7_a89709d1180b44208e5497c0ac83fb23~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_1122,h_1402,al_c/45a8c7_a89709d1180b44208e5497c0ac83fb23~mv2.png A framed 18 x 24 inch political watercolor painting on heavy paper. The distressed red, black, and white composition depicts Donald J. Trump in a stark propaganda-style portrait, with German blackletter text reading “Dein Ja dem Führer” and the date “8 November.” The work is mounted against a black backing inside a rustic dark wooden frame, photographed in a clean gallery-style presentation. https://www.yakthestudio.com/portfolio-collections/portfolio/mixed-media-showcase 2026-05-01 https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45a8c7_68ea06c81f2f4142bf823cc67175f1d1~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_3389,h_2660,al_c/45a8c7_68ea06c81f2f4142bf823cc67175f1d1~mv2.jpg "BLOW" by Ken Oswald https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45a8c7_7932e71f13704bf18f66835888ab10f1~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_2694,h_1945,al_c/45a8c7_7932e71f13704bf18f66835888ab10f1~mv2.jpg Large Canvas Abstract Artwork by Ken Oswald"__yak" Vann. Jr. https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45a8c7_078abdeff99e4229a86030cff311c7c2~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_1000,h_1016,al_c/45a8c7_078abdeff99e4229a86030cff311c7c2~mv2.png https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45a8c7_6c69deeccc8c4ec39128f142c0a263e6~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_1000,h_863,al_c/45a8c7_6c69deeccc8c4ec39128f142c0a263e6~mv2.jpg https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45a8c7_c9becea89aa34fa19b77210dbaa233a0~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_2000,h_1578,al_c/45a8c7_c9becea89aa34fa19b77210dbaa233a0~mv2.jpg https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45a8c7_851255781dfa4d37bc4a310d26aeb530~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_1000,h_957,al_c/45a8c7_851255781dfa4d37bc4a310d26aeb530~mv2.png https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45a8c7_1b2c6e700d4a48089dfd7c90e4b42c34~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_1000,h_911,al_c/45a8c7_1b2c6e700d4a48089dfd7c90e4b42c34~mv2.jpg https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45a8c7_320b2fea773a4f63a8d48da1a519a5f3~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_1000,h_829,al_c/45a8c7_320b2fea773a4f63a8d48da1a519a5f3~mv2.jpg https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45a8c7_1e4a8c7c10ad49abb3be5b807ee2b26e~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_1000,h_1025,al_c/45a8c7_1e4a8c7c10ad49abb3be5b807ee2b26e~mv2.jpg https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45a8c7_243202e3b5b0453597bfdd54289e56a1~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_1686,h_3000,al_c/45a8c7_243202e3b5b0453597bfdd54289e56a1~mv2.jpg