Meta Afro Futurism.
Meta-Afrofuturism is an expansion of traditional Afrofuturism that doesn't just imagine liberation in distant futures, but actively builds the visual and technological frameworks to get there. It bridges physical fine art—like expressive portraiture on canvas, wood, and reclaimed neighborhood materials—with digital dimensions such as virtual reality, world-building, and immersive media. Rather than treating the future as a speculative dream, Meta-Afrofuturism treats it as an ongoing, interactive construction: a space where historical roots, contemporary culture, and emerging technologies collide to reclaim narrative power in real time.
Fine art, expressive figurative painting, and speculative visual storytelling based in Philadelphia.
I’m Anthony Tyrone Howard (TYWHO)—a Philadelphia-born painter, illustrator, and designer. My work bridges traditional figurative painting with speculative storytelling, exploring themes of mythology, identity, and digital culture through a lens I call Meta-Afrofuturism.
Working out of my studio at The Braid Mill in historic Germantown, I paint using acrylics, inks, and mixed media across varied surfaces—from traditional stretched canvas and wood panels to found objects and reclaimed materials gathered directly from my neighborhood. Every piece is an exploration of where history, physical space, and the future intersect.
Finding My Future.
EXPLORATIONS IN META AFROFUTURISM
In Finding My Future: Act I — NEODELPHIA (Next Act 2027), I examine how media, history, and physical environment shape our collective soul. Working on traditional canvas, wood panels, and reclaimed materials gathered directly from my Germantown neighborhood, these paintings ground speculative narratives in the tangible fabric of my hometown. This foundational body of work uses expressive portraiture, local texture, and symbolic layering to challenge where our past ends and our future begins—setting the stage for a broader exploration of identity, race, and human resilience.
De Dromen / De Goden
Paintings exploring spiritual lineages, subconscious states, and higher dimensions. This collection uses expressive portraiture and cosmic symbolism to channel archetypal energies and the forces that shape our inner lives.
De Muzen
A celebration of the divine feminine across global mythology and speculative futures. These portraits depict matriarchs and cosmic queens, capturing both ancient, living energy and futuristic grace through rich color and expressive brushwork.
De Monsters / De Mythen
An examination of societal conflict, historical memory, and the narratives we construct to survive them. These works bring mythic struggles into the modern day, painting raw tensions onto canvas, wood panels, and found materials.