|
John Holyfield was Born and raised in Clarksburg, West
Virginia. He was orphaned and reared
by his grandmothers. Early in childhood, his interest in art was evident.
Encouraged by family and friends, he studied art throughout school and went
on to Howard University and the University of D.C. to major in graphic
design. Johns interest, however, soon switched to the fine arts. Realizing
the appeal of his works, he entered the art market and has become a leading
African-American artist. Johns style was inspired by such artists as Ernie
Barnes and Norman Rockwell inspire Johns style. As Barnes, his compositions
are full of movement and his characters elongated and fluid. Most of his
paintings, at a glance, tell a story or create a scenario. This style of
visual story telling is similar to Rockwell.
Kevin
A. Williams (WAK)
If pictures
are worth a thousand words, then self-taught artist Kevin A. Williams has
created enough elements of love, intimacy and passion on canvas to write a
book. The sensual art that he creates is among the most contemporary
African-American
art of our time. Williams combines acrylic and air brush techniques to speak
to different generations of people. He enjoys expressing love, community, and
the family through his paint and brushes. Williams, thirty-something, and
best known by his reversed initials, WAK, stays busy creating mixed-medium
pieces inspired by his coming of age during the 70ıs and 80ıs ( a time when
music inspired major cultural shifts in fashion and art). While still in high
school, he was very much aware of the cultural shift. As Williams was growing
up on the Southside of Chicago, his artistic talent was recognized early. At
age 15, he realized that painting was what he would spend the rest of his
life doing. He was truly fascinated by painting, and stayed long hours in his
studio to polish his talents. He launched his career as a commercial artist.
His talent earned him numerous honors including three National Scholastic
Awards, and a coveted ACT-SO Gold Medal. His debut print, "Taking Her
Back," the first in a five-part series, pays homage to the beauty of
Black love with muted, natural tones and an emotionally charged scene. The
piece conveys the respect and honor that the Black man should hold for Black
women. "We are powerful people and there are certain messages I try to
portray," says Williams. " I try to capture the elements of
love." He reminisced about the 70ıs: the romanticism, music, culture,
and Black folks making a statement. " I paint my music," he says,
referring to Marvin Gaye, Earth, Wind, & Fire, and Maxwell. His paintings
reflect the process of a relationship (a man meeting a woman, to magnificent
love, to having a family). More recently, Williams has begun to focus more on
depicting an element of spirituality in his paintings. Phenomenal works such
as "God Is In Me" and "Divine Order" speak to the
necessity of our people to acknowledge Godıs deserving place in our lives. As
a man first and then an artist, Williams is honored to be able to communicate
such messages through his art.
Gilbert Young
Gilbert Young is a painter, muralist, graphic artist,
conservator and arts advocate. Born in Cincinnati Ohio in 1941, Gilbert Young
studied at the Cincinnati Art Academy and University of Cincinnati, and
received conservation training under the tutelage of Byron Adams.
Gilbert Young's works show African Americans as a people of a rich heritage
and a positive and colorful future. As Gilbert Young states, "My
objective is to illustrate Black life as a positive form locked in holy
matrimony with mankind. I attempt to treat each work as a personal and
intimate involvement with the subject. This allows it to develop its own
distinctive character as I form my own interpretation. I frequently restrict
my use of color and often leave the backgrounds white and uncluttered in an
attempt to show that emotions and feelings of mankind are timeless and
universal." From numerous exhibitions and one man shows, Gilbert Young's
art work has received national recognition. Gilbert Young is a frequent
lecturer, active in the community, and has received a multitude of
commissions and awards.
|