For Raf Simpson, canvas and paint provide the ultimate sanctuary. In his new exhibition in East Hampton, the abstract artist narrows his focus, working with a more refined set of shapes, colors, and compositions.
SPOTLIGHT: Raf, tell us about yourself and your background.
SIMPSON: I’m originally from Barbados. I grew up surfing, being outdoors, and spending most of my free time in the ocean. Barbados shaped so much of who I am and how I see the world. My grandfather is an entrepreneur, and from a young age I admired what he had built. I honestly never considered working for anyone. I’ve always valued freedom over security, and I think that has driven a lot of the decisions I’ve made in my life.
SPOTLIGHT: How did you start your career?
SIMPSON: I started out as an entrepreneur in payment processing in New York City around 2009. Most of my experience in the U.S. had actually been in Florida, but for some reason I always knew I wanted to live in New York. I basically made up a company so I had an excuse to move there and try to make it work. Since then, I’ve launched and been involved in businesses across media, hospitality, real estate, and consumer products.
SPOTLIGHT: Was it difficult to transition from tech to art?
SIMPSON: I actually don’t think I transitioned from tech to art. Art added an entirely new and beautiful layer to my life. If anything, painting frees me to pursue all of the entrepreneurial things I love doing. I also think I approach my businesses in a similar way to how I approach a painting. There’s an idea of where I want to go, but I’m comfortable letting the process change the outcome. I’ve never felt like I needed to choose one path. I just knew I could do both.
SPOTLIGHT: So when did you start painting?
SIMPSON: I’ve always loved art, but my wife, Lauren, was the person who encouraged me to actually start painting. She’s an artist and an all-around creative. She opened my world to architecture, design, and so many of the things I draw inspiration from today. In 2020, when COVID hit, I desperately needed a creative outlet. She encouraged me to paint, and the rest is history. I think the early stages of doing anything creative can be difficult because people see the work before you’ve figured out what it is. That can be discouraging. Lauren was the opposite. Whenever I did something on a canvas that I didn’t like, she saw it as texture and an opportunity for something great to take shape. That completely changed the way I looked at the process, and honestly, I still paint that way today.
SPOTLIGHT: How did you know that painting was your preferred medium?
SIMPSON: I don’t know that I can completely explain it. My mind moves in 10,000 different directions, and painting is one of the only things that makes it completely calm. It puts me into a state that I can’t find anywhere else. When I’m painting, everything else disappears for a while. More than anything else, that feeling told me this was the medium for me.
SPOTLIGHT: Has taking an unconventional path to the art world been a challenge?
SIMPSON: It’s actually been the opposite of a challenge because painting is such a natural, beautiful thing that I do for myself. I’m incredibly grateful that people enjoy the work and want to put it in their homes, but I’m not painting to sell paintings. I paint because I love to paint and, frankly, because I like looking at the work when it’s finished. The fact that other people connect with it is incredibly rewarding, but that isn’t what drives it. At the end of the day, I do it for myself.
SPOTLIGHT: Why did you choose J. Mackey Gallery in East Hampton for your Between Frequencies exhibition?
SIMPSON: It felt natural. I wasn’t looking at it as some strategic decision about where I needed to show. I liked their eye, I liked the way they presented work, and I liked the relationship. There’s also something about showing the work in East Hampton that just makes sense to me. The gallery feels connected to the place rather than separate from it, and I think my paintings work particularly well in that environment. I’ve always loved the intersection of art, architecture, interiors, and the way people actually live with art. The Hamptons brings all of those things together in an interesting way.
SPOTLIGHT: What’s your connection to the Hamptons? Are there any places there that you go to for inspiration?
SIMPSON: Before I ever went to the Hamptons, I pictured this incredibly bougie place with Ferraris, Bentleys, and Rolls-Royces driving around everywhere. I remember going for the first time and being shocked by how understated it actually was. There’s this real fabric of a year-round community underneath everything, and it holds the whole place together. I try to spend as much time there as I can every year with my family. I wouldn’t say I go to the Hamptons and consciously think, “I’m going to find inspiration for a painting.” It’s more that the Hamptons inspires my mind, and whatever is happening in my mind eventually finds its way into the art.
In the Hamptons, Shou Sugi Ban House in Water Mill is my favorite place to escape, reset, and find inspiration. I love the Japanese-inspired setting, the connection to nature, and the focus on wellness and restoration. It feels completely removed from everything and gives me the space to clear my mind and come back renewed. I also love getting on a boat from the marina in Sag Harbor and just going anywhere. There’s something about being on the water with no real plan or destination that clears my head and lets me see the East End from a completely different perspective.
Between Frequencies runs from August 31–September 6 at J. Mackey Gallery, 62 The Cir, East Hampton.
