Epistrophic Arts

Soulful Visual Storytelling

Welcome to Epistrophic Arts

Named after Thelonious Monk's Epistrophy—a jazz standard whose title invokes "returning with new knowledge" or "forward-thinking"—Epistrophic Arts is where rhythm emotes, and every face tells a story.

I'm Jason Hampton, a self-taught visual artist whose work is often nestled in the intersection of music and portraiture. Jazz, blues, folk traditions, and African musical forms pulse through what I create. My compositions, designs, and portraits capture spontaneous moments of humanity—candid, alive, and full of narrative.

I love to portray the human face, the human figure, candid expressions, and gestures revealing character. I'm drawn to portraits with mid-conversation, mid-thought, mid-song energies and moods. My work honors what legends people carry in their eyes, postures, and presences.

Great art, like great music, requires listening/observation. I observe, respond, interpret. Whether I'm painting commissioned portraits, workshopping, or collaborating on a public installation, I approach every project as a creative dialogue. I prioritize honoring what came before; while pushing toward something new.

This approach embodies the spirit of epistrophy: always returning to keep moving forward.