Art for Sale Page 2

Kevin A. Williams’ art is widely circulated fine art. Diverse in its themes, the art is painted by Williams in mixed mediums, and then produced in limited edition quantities. Williams also creates a number of commissioned works annually.

As the best-selling artist in the African-American print market, Williams is a popular personality at national art shows, conferences of African-American groups and major international events, including the Essence Music Festival. His art has been featured on television’s Law & Order (NBC) and Soul Food (Showtime).

Kevin A. Williams recent years have included commissioned work for celebrities, such as televisions host and movie producer Oprah Winfrey and comedian Bernie Mac, as well as corporate clients. He formed SoulVisions in May 2003.

Largely self-taught, Kimmy discovered his artistic vision in high school. His art teacher, Curtis Patterson, now at the Atlanta College of Art, admired his command of clay. Kimmy’s very first piece, a clay vase, landed on display at the Atlanta Board of Education Building. Still, he never considered making art his livelihood. Instead, he studied business administration at Georgia State University and spent 12 years in distribution management. In 1991, a recently divorced Kimmy left College Park to accept a job in rural South Georgia. There, after almost 20 years, his life came full circle. “I just decided one day that it was time to reconnect with the clay so I picked some up and sculpted a vase.“ Kimmy’s vases evolved into bowls, and bowls, faces. And, well, he hasn’t stopped creating since.

Buchi Upjohn Aghaji dips his brush into vastly different hues when creating his works. He expresses his art through a variety of media including oil, watercolor and acrylic on cold-pressed paper, canvas, burlap, wood and pottery. The result is a refreshing change from the contemporary trend in Afro-centric painting. Aghaji says that while he was always interested in painting, his studies in the university steered him into the advertising field where he worked for a year in Nigeria. It wasn’t until he moved to England that he realized that he could pursue his painting full time. The response he received from his work was so encouraging that he and an illustrator friend opened a studio.

Aghaji decided to move to the United States and spent three years in New York. He now resides in Metro Atlanta. Aghaji utilizes the graphic techniques he acquired while majoring in visual communications at the University of Nigeria. He also uses the traditional “uli” motifs found in his tribe, the Igbos of Nigeria. Uli is the art of body decorations, consisting of lines and patterns that convey such admirable qualities as the strength, fertility, humility, and compassion of the individuals they adorn. This combining of the best of the “old” and the new come together make his work a unique and exhilarating experience. Upjohn’s work has received much recognition and acclaim in Nigeria and other parts of the world. His work has been collected by the President of Nigeria and numerous private collectors in England, Germany, America and Africa.

William Tolliver, a native of Mississippi is internationally recognized for his powerful moving style and has earned himself a place among America’s most renowned artist. Tolliver developed a style that is both versatile and refreshingly exuberant. It is a style where inspiration comes from the fabric of his own upbringing. Jazz, history, and beauty each have a revered place in the palette of William Tolliver. What may seem commonplace on the surface found brilliance and light at the hand of this unequivocal master.

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Laurie Cooper is a Philadelphia based fine artist interested in showing the beauty of the black race. Her main goal is to show the inner and the outer beauty. Such as the inherent strength of character, richness of skin color, and the strong unique facial features those lies in the black race. Ms. Cooper hopes to reveal to all races the special qualities of the black race. Ms. Cooper is able to reveal these aspects in an academic style of painting, which is why she is one of the inspiring upcoming artists of today. In 1988, she earned her BFA from the University of Pennsylvania.

Collectors of her work include Dr. Pete Smith, Dr. Samuel F. Quartey, and Dr. Carey Tucker, Colorworks Gallery in Maryland, and Collectible Art Gallery in Philadelphia.

Deborah Shedrick’s art is her voice, her vacation and advocation, her passion since childhood. After receiving a Master of Science degree in psychology, she returned to her first love – art. She honed her artistic skills through workshops with other prominent artist and painting became a full-time venture in 1986. Acrylic, watercolor, pastel, clay collage and mixed media creations by Shedrick are part of collections throughout the United States and abroad. She has been the recipient of numerous awards in invitational and juried art shows.

Shedrick states, “As I create, I reflect on the master, the author of creativity, God. I share with you the spiritualness of which my art is born. Hear the art speak to you of love, inner-peace, strength and joy.”

Contemporary Visual Artist Entrepreneur and Philanthropist

Internationally acclaimed artist Charles Bibbs, whose work is featured in museums, galleries, organizations, and homes of many collectors, displays a deep sense of Spirituality, Majesty, Dignity, Strength and Grace in his images, that is done in a combination of realistic and larger-than-life interpretations of contemporary subjects that are ethnically rooted.

Born in San Pedro, California, and raised in Harbor City, California, Bibbs managed to work an eight-hour job, and use his God-given talent in his spare time. But In 1991, Bibbs decided to leave his management position of 25 years, to form his own publishing and distribution company, B Graphics and Fine Arts, Inc. Today, Bibbs is one of the top-selling artists in the country, and his company has grown to be one of the leaders in the African American art print market.