African Americans have a deep-rooted history in the United States, from the tragedy of slavery to the obtaining equal rights. African American artwork brings the struggles, the victories, and the day to day life of African Americans both present day and over the past two hundred years. From happiness to despair, all emotions can be found in African American paintings.
The beginning of African Americans’ history in America was slavery. Pieces like “Soul’s Flight” and “Soul’s Awakening” bring to light the plight African Americans suffered to become free. They inspire a sense of hope through bright colors. The patterns on the dresses depict old slave quilts, which were patterns to direct escaping slaves to the North. Paired with the flying birds in the background, these African American sketches scream freedom and a sense of liberation.
Artists like Steven Johnson and Keith Mallett move into the later influences that African Americans brought to the United States. Slick Jazz musicians are seen in the pieces “Bebop” and “Reflections”. Both African American paintings bring life to any space. They sing off the walls and play with beautiful shapes and contouring to put jazz music onto canvas.
Later pieces like “DJ Love” and “Girl in Pink” by Adam Perez bring casual hip hop culture to life. The bold colors and unique look of the paintings illustrates the modern view of hip-hop culture. From clubs to basketball courts, these paintings pop with real life situations expressed in a completely unique way.
