Celebrating Black History Month Through Art
As February kicks in and Black History Month is celebrated this month, I thought of creating a new series of mini portraits. What better way to celebrate it than through art? Using art as my tool, I hope to help raise more awareness. Thus I created art that celebrates Black joy, history and culture.
In the image above, you can see from left to right: “Determination”, “Sorrow”, “Hope” and “Faith”, my first four black super heroes. These mini portraits will participate to a collective exhibition with the theme “Path”, organized by George Laoun Opticien, honoring the 30th anniversary of Black History Month.
Between February 8th and March 27th, you can see all the artworks exhibited in the windows of George Laoun Opticien located at 4012 Saint-Denis street corner with Duluth.
Spoiler Alert. My son is also participating at this exhibition!!! Yay! You will read more about it in my next blog post!
Usually during this month-long celebration, throughout North America all students learn about the achievements of African -Americans as media and classes are bringing these accomplishments and milestones into focus.
I will not bother you with a history lesson.That is not my goal. I only want to honor the too often neglected accomplishments of black Americans and explore the image of strong black woman identity. We need to understand the sacrifices the Black Americans throughout history. Not only the important figures that we learn about, but the regular folks, like me and you.
It is not that long ago that faced with the racial discrimination, the black woman had to become a superhero. Hope, faith, determination, sacrifice, sorrow are elements of her armor.
“HOPE” - Acrylic on paper
“Hope” illustrates the strong connection between hardship and hope of freedom. It speaks about the story of resistance, resilience and hope. It talks about keeping the cultural identity in spite of the adversities.
SORROW - Acrylic on paper
“Sorrow” helps us remember the terrible past while moving forward. Many black heroes are admired today for their glory, with little or no interest in their story. Sorrow is a reminder of the past, a symbol of the pain and suffering endured by the black people throughout history. It’s a reminder of social injustice.
“DETERMINATION” - Acrylic on paper
“Determination” is a reminder of the fact that without it, the dream of freedom would have not been possible. It takes courage and determination to seek the truth and fight for your beliefs.
“FAITH” - Acrylic on paper
“Faith” represents the bridge built to overcome the evil that has occurred, the bridge towards a brighter future.
If you liked any of the artworks above, drop me a line and tell me which one!
What do you do to celebrate the Black History Month? Do you create art? Do you prefer to immerse yourself in the rich history of black culture?