LYNN — Michael Aghahowa and Jah’Nyah Spencer, two Lynn creatives, have teamed up to put on a joint art exhibition called “Twin.” Rooted in friendship, shared life paths, and community impact, this collaborative show is a testament to those connections.
Bonding and creating a friendship that started almost six years ago, the two describe themselves as “two sides of the same coin.” Aghahowa and Spencer share a strong connection through public art and youth mentorship. Both are muralists, studied illustration, serve as mentors at Raw Art Works, and both attended Lynn Tech.
The pair also worked together for the first time on the “Hip Hop Hall of Fame Mural,” which was in collaboration with the Lynn Music Foundation and was unveiled at the 2025 Lynn Film Festival at the Neal Rantoul Vault Theater. This mural will also be on display at the exhibition.
“Michael (Aghahowa) is just a really good friend of mine. If anything, he’s more like a brother to me. He has always been very supportive, very kind, and he’s always shown up for his community, and I really resonate with that,” Spencer said. “Community is a big value for me. It’s one of my favorite parts of being an artist. Knowing that I can make an impact, I can share my voice; I can help other people recognize their own voices, and just a collective sense of belonging is so important. Community is a very beautiful thing.”
“Twin” highlights two parallel but distinct artistic journeys, not identical styles. Despite visual differences, both of these artists share a spirit anchored in a lifelong commitment to art, a belief in community, and a dedication to uplifting others through creative expression. They both emphasize art’s role as therapy and storytelling, aiming to help people feel seen, connected, and inspired.
“I met Jah when I was painting a mural for Beyond Walls, and she was a paid intern. I was working up on a lift when she came over and was like ‘Yo! You’re Michael!’ That was really cool for me because growing up in Lynn, I didn’t really have many Black people to look up to in terms of taking art seriously or wanting to be a fine artist,” Aghahowa said. “She came up to me and told me she was going to Tech, and Bruce (Orr), who was her mentor at the time, and my mentor at Raw Art Works, was telling her about me, and so she already knew who I was because we had those similar paths. I didn’t know I could be someone to look up to. I never thought of myself as being that type of person.”
Spencer’s more recent work explores themes of internal healing and identity, connecting them to the broader U.S. political and social climate, specifically issues of immigration, freedom, and belonging. Similarly, Aghahowa’s art delves into cultural history and Black identity, with a goal of inspiring viewers to re-engage with their own creative drive.
The exhibition opens Dec. 13 from 6-9 p.m. at LynnArts, located at 25 Exchange St., and will include visual art and spoken word by fellow Lynn artist Paradoxic King, who is a rapper, producer, and poet. The event offers free entry, with food and refreshments provided. The artists’ shared hope is that attendees leave feeling inspired and proud of their community.
