Published on Scene360 in 2017.
Black Art Matters: Artists of African Descent to Discover on Ello
Visual art allows anyone to confess their truth—no matter how different or inconvenient it might be for someone else.
The likes of painting, photography, and film acts as a vehicle for exploring identity, reflecting on history, and celebrating culture. Of course, this isn’t specific to a race or society, but it is helpful, at times, to recognize the makers from a particular group—especially those who are marginalized.
Through the Ello account, Black Art Matters, it features a trove of work made by contemporary black artists. Designer Mario Hounkanrin curates the profile with this in mind: “People of African descent have contributed to all aspects of our societies and cultures. It is important to get to know what they created and developed because this contribution is still often denied or diminished. Explore Black History and Black Art from Africa to the other continents.”
( With nearly a four-decades career, artist Kerry James Marshall continually focuses on paintings of black figures.) #ello #blacklivesmatter #art