Artist Elizabeth Catlett Mora (April 15, 1915 – April 2, 2012)

Thank You Elizabeth Catlett for having inspired the world and may you rest in peace!

Her legacy will live on forever...............

Preserving Our Image: Artist Carlos Spivey

I first fell in love with Carlos Spiveys beautiful artwork when I visited The Essence Music Festival a few years ago. Any woman or man who creates positive imagery of our beauty is all right with me. His images are beautiful in their depiction of our beauty and to me that says that he loves and appreciates who we are as human beings.

His artwork transcends the optical limitations of this world with images of dignity that reflect the cultural diversity of African people in a modern, traditional and even cosmic context. He says that he is an Ancient Futurist and  paints stories, Afro Centric tales of love and loss on this physical and on the spiritual plane. Parables with universal themes that reflect a spirit of hope and perseverance. His stories are filled with love, beauty and sacred totems.

Here is another one of our best creative minds whose beautiful works of art should be gracing your walls. His mosaics are to die for and believe me if I had the money I'd have him create a mosaic in my bathroom. You can find more about this brilliant man and to purchase his collection here.

Dawn Okoro: Capturing Life's Fantasies

"Animadversion"

"Oil and Acrylic on Canvas"

Rarely do women artists come along who capture our fantasies or gain our attention in the way the Dawn Okoro has. It doesn't matter if it's the bold strokes on a canvas or pen and ink to paper, Dawn is quickly becoming a force and a legend in her own right with her extensive collection of sculptures, paintings and photography.

Dawn has shown several collections of her work at several of the worlds most prestigious galleries in which her work has been extensively dissected, debated and discussed in the press, yet she remains one of the art worlds rising stars. Okoro injects her own personal history and the daily lives of women into each piece that she creates, thus giving the viewer a miniature peek at our lives and lifestyles.

Artist, Dawn Okoro

My blog is dedicated to "The Afro and All of it's Magnificent Glory" and Dawn has a wealth of beautiful prints that I could feature here on a daily basis.  When we think of our beauty we should bask in the delight of self-love which is a personal affirmation of self-worth that we all must embrace, caress and protect, not the definitions that others have of us, and Dawn Okoro's paintings validates our inherit beauty in our own imagery.

People often tell us to pursue the things we love doing and to do them so well no one can take their eyes off us and we'll be rewarded accordingly and Dawn Okoro is doing just that, creating paintings that are so beautiful patrons can't take their eyes off of them. To learn more about this artist click on the link.
To purchase her work, click on the link.

It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This!

Talk about a treat first we have a new song by Lauryn Hill titled "Repercussions" that somehow surfaces on the web and now Afripop Magazine has video of her performing in Rwanda talk about excitement. It's a clear indication that Lauryn's fans are patiently waiting for new music. I know I am! Thanks to those wonderful 'Afropolitans' over at Afripop Magazine for the link.

Check out the videos of her at the country's 7Th annual Pan-African Dance and Music Festival (FESPAD).

Preserving Our Image: Artist Mickalene Thomas

Mickalene Thomas' "A Moments Pleasure"

Artist Mickalene Thomas is known for creating controversal works of art, which leaves me to wonder how are we going to embrace our own beauty if we're afraid to comfront it? Mickalene Thomas' artworks explores the notions of beauty particularly in relation to African American women with her photographs, collages, and paintings.

Her portraits are based on the long tradition of portraiture in western art history with the more recent  images of the 1960’s and 70’s and by her own mother, a former model who often models for Thomas. They address questions of artifice, femininity, strength, beauty and glamour as they apply to our individual psyche.

Her Newest Work "Le Déjeuner Sur l'herbe: Les Trois Femmes Noires"

Thomas presents three women (in the above piece) in an ornate setting, composed in a direct homage to Manet’s Le Déjeuner Sur L’herbe, 1863. The sitters exude intense confidence and sensuality amplified by Thomas’ patterned and collage treatment. The work originated as a photograph that Thomas staged in the MoMA Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden Party in the Garden. She then created a collage combining the photograph with other elements, then scanned and further altered it in Photoshop, creating a puzzle-piece effect that alludes to the process of its making.
 

"Can We Just Sit Down and Talk It Over?" 

Artist Mickalene Thomas

 

Mickalene Thomas is an American artist who was born in 1971, in Camden, New Jersey. She earned her MFA from Yale University in 2002 and currently lives and works in New York City.
(Photos:Courtesy of the artist, The Imagist and Lehmann Maupin Gallery)

Gifts For the Home

Why Not Give the Gift of Art ???





"Soul Sistah's"

What Doctor or aspiring Doctor would not want this print in their office?

" Diva MD's"

My friends love to throw huge parties this time of year and I always buy them a cute print or something unique to impress their guests and they love it! Each year people scour the best stores either online or in their city looking for the perfect gift. Why not give a gift of art to that outgoing family member or friend?

Here are few prints that I found over at New York City House of Art , which were painted by artist, Frank Morrison. They've got a huge selection of artwork to chose from.

Afrolista of the Week: Artist Karin Turner

Artist: Karin Turner

My Afrolista of the week is the fabulous artist, Karin Turner. I love her work and have collected three of her fabulous paintings and platters over the past three years. I fell in love with Karin's art while visiting the Essence Music Festival, where this woman's art sells out every time.


One of her pretty wall plates.

Karin specializes in creating images that feature the diverse and ever appealing spectrum of women of African descent.


This one is in my living room.


Turners work is synonymous with the single thought of uplifting optimism; Life is Luscious!" Her images feature a semi-autobiographical character "H2O Melon Girl" who boasts a crown of natural hair, lives in the moment, and is happy with the curvaceous figure she possesses.


This one is in my favorite because it deals with reading and gaining knowledge.

This artist's trademark watermelons are her metaphor for life. Turner has liberated the watermelon from the stereotypical thoughts people often associate people of African descent with when it comes to this highly nutritious fruit. Turner is aware of the historical pain often associated with the watermelon and has evoked the image of the Yoruba Goddess of the sea, Yemaya, whose favorite fruit is the watermelon to change this stereotype.



This one is in my dining room right along with my Redouté botanical prints.

She uses the belief in personal autonomy to battle long held perceptions, because with true autonomy, you have liberation. She applies that ideal not just to watermelon, but also to the prevailing notion of physical beauty: slenderness. To view or purchase images of her work, go here.