Lenworth “Joonbug” McIntosh

Life as an Open Studio

- Yétúndé Olagbaju

Lenworth McIntosh Jr. is a strong name. So is Joonbug. As with many, these names are the residuals of complicated history for my friend and prolific artist Lenworth “Joonbug” McIntosh Jr. I know him as “Joonbug”—a common and endearing nickname for “Junior”—but his full name belonged to his father. Joonbug’s reclamation of his full name was significant, due to their relationship, complicated by space, harsh memories and eventual death. It represented an acceptance of his own greatness and destiny.

Since meeting Joonbug in 2014, we have been in a collective, in friendship, and solidified an artistic trust that feels generative, empowering, and uncommonly authentic. Rarely seen without a camera and a sketchbook, his characters are among his best creations. Alive, dancing, vibrant, and sometimes a bit mischievous, these characters feel familiar, familial even, and embody a sense of timelessness in their composition.