Art – one of the most appraised forms of creative expression ever created. A world that for so long, seemed to only be reserved for the elite inner circles of society. But with the invention of the internet and subsequently social media, it has crossed over become available to the ordinary masses, including you and I. And I am proud to announce that in the midst of this crossing over, black art has made a name for itself also – much to my approval and critical comprehension.
I’m sure you’ve seen, amidst all the social issues black people have been championing or been a part of, the ground-breaking birth of art that has come with it. From the #BringBackOurGirls hashtag centred on bringing back the hundreds of girls who were held captive in Nigeria last year, all the way down to the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag which scrutinises the needless deaths of Eric Garner, Mike Brown, and Trayvon Martin (to name a few) who have sparked conversation about gun control and the value of black lives across the Atlantic.
Black art is blossoming and so it should be; but with a growing target audience comes the growing sense of responsibility artists have for accurate representation. So having witnessed a mass of art – ranging from the freelance artists advertising on Twitter and Instagram, to professionals who have their art hung at acclaimed galleries across the country – why am I still slightly cynical about the rise of black art?
Well I’ll tell you why… and it all starts with a long word, beginning with the letter ‘r’.