In addition to informing his technique, Armstrong’s background also inspires his subject matter. As a person of Black, white, and Japanese descent, he often paints portraits celebrating Black athletes. “I’m heavily influenced by Black America and what all of us have been through,” he said. “While not perfect, sports and athleticism, in my opinion, are the closest things to a meritocracy in this country—the fastest, the strongest, and the quickest usually make it out on top. There’s also the symbolism in the fight—the grace, the strength, the power, the rebound, the perseverance, knowing what athletes go through and how they focus only on the game. There are a lot of parallels between being an athlete and being an artist.”
While certain works portray specific figures like tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams or Olympic sprinter Michael Johnson, others are amalgamations of a feeling. A painting might encapsulate the physical and emotional sensation of what it’s like to dribble a basketball or throw a winning punch in a boxing ring. In one recent diptych,
Hammer in a Sea of Hate (2021), Armstrong captures the late baseball legend Hank Aaron (known as “Hammer” or “Hammerin’ Hank”) up at bat. Painted onto two separate canvases, Aaron’s image is split down the center—one canvas bears the player’s face in a focused grimace while the other features tensed arms and clenched hands readying themselves to swing. Aaron’s jersey is a gust of sweeping greys, a blur of motion before the moment of truth.