Paulie!

Stephen Forman Jr, aka Paulie!, is a Christian, African American illustrator born and raised in Buffalo, NY. He seeks to express his foundational faith, the sorrowful struggles along with the jovial joys of the Black experience, and outright love for storytelling all whilst using a marker, paint brush, stylus, and/or ballpoint pen. Figures and visual analogies are his main vehicle to convey his thoughts and ideas: with each piece's goal being to spark conversation amongst the most esteemed critic to the greenest of gallery-hoppers. Forman participated in numerous art markets and shows such as the Beau Fleuve Music & Arts Celebration as well as the Music is Arts Festival.

Paulie! debuted his first solo show, Serving the Solution, at the Artisan Culinary Lofts in early December 2023 coupled by his father’s culinary business, Thyme-N-Honey, to share his vision of a greener future for African-Americans nationwide. The success of the show led to Serving the Solution having a second showing at Beebe’s at The Gallery. Since then, Paulie! has shown at local galleries and venues such as Buffalo Art Studio, Hunt Art Gallery, Cass Gallery’s Cass Cave, Allen Street Art, and The Exchange at Beverly Gray. He’s done many artist markets both in Buffalo and Lockport. Paulie! has always aspired to create illustrations and comics and has recently found his creative drive through exploring Buffalo and its limitless possibilities!