Being Muholi: Portraits as Resistance Gallery Guide

Zibuyile I, Syracuse, 2015

Photograph, silver gelatin print

Private Collection Westfield, New Jersey

This vertical rectangular black and white print of a photograph is a self-presentation of the artist from their shoulders up. They stand in front of a tree trunk, facing us. The texture of the bark is irregular, with vertical ridges and fissures, and is slightly out of focus. It contrasts against the artist's smooth, dark skin. They have high cheekbones, wide eyes, slightly flared nostrils, and full closed lips. Their right ear is visible, flat to the side of their head. Their hair is pulled back from their forehead and their locs are twisted into a large wreath-like circle on top of their head. They stare directly at us. Light coming in from the upper side to our right highlights that side of the tree trunk, and the left side of the artist's forehead, neck, collarbone, and upper arm.

Inile II, London, 2019

Photographs, silver gelatin prints

Private Collection Brooklyn, New York

This horizontal rectangular black and white photograph is composed of four vertically-oriented images of the artist. Each image is separated from the adjacent one with a vertical band of white. Each image shows the artist from head to mid-torso in the central third of the pictorial space. In each image, they wear a brilliant white, thick towel wrapped under their armpits with a fold forming a flowing drape tucked at the center of their chest. Their hair is covered by a second large, thick, white towel that forms a towering, twisted turban that ends at the nape of the back of their neck. The visible texture and folds of the thick, fluffy, stark white towels; the brilliant white of their eyes; and their glossy, reflective, slightly parted lips contrast starkly with their dark skin, which they digitally exaggerated using post-production software. A faint tattoo of a woman’s reproductive system including uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries, cervix, and vagina is outlined on their left shoulder. The background of each image is a uniform pale gray color, empty but for a faint shadow of their body. In the view on the far left the artist is shown in profile facing our left with their head tilted up, and their eyes closed. At left center, they face our left, but their head is turned to the right to gaze out at the viewer. At center-right, the artist faces the viewer directly. On the far right, they are depicted in profile facing right with their head level and their eyes open.

Somandla, Parktown, Diptych, 2014

Photographs, silver gelatin prints

Stephen Burks collection, New York

This diptych is composed of two vertical silver gelatin photographic prints arranged side by side. Both images are self-presentations of the artist shown nude from the waist up against a light gray textured background. They have dark skin and long dark locs. In the image to our left, they are shown on the left side of the image facing us with their body angled towards our right. They stretch both arms up, elbows bent, with their forearms pointing down towards their back. Their head tilts back, supported by their hands. Their eyes are softly closed shut and their lips are slightly parted. Their long dark locs dangle behind their back and a few locs rest over their left shoulder, draping down to their chest. Their back is slightly arched, pushing their chest and nipples forward and exposing a faint outline of their ribs. In the image on the right, the person is oriented on the right side of the image facing away from us and their body turned towards our left. Their arms are raised up to pull their thick dark locs into a high ponytail. Their right arm is hidden behind their head and their left arm is bent, elbow jutting out to the left edge of the image. Their face is turned away from us and only their left ear is visible. Light comes from our right and highlights their upper back and shoulder and contrasts with the shadow from the curve of their spine. A faint outline of their left nipple is visible.

Vumani II, Boston, 2019

Photograph, silver gelatin print

Stephen and Katherine Sherrill Collection

This black and white square photograph depicts the torso of the artist against a plain white background. The artist's head is at the center of this image and is oriented staring intently at us. The whites of their eyes, and the light or white makeup on their lower eyes and lips contrast sharply with their dark skin, which they digitally exaggerated using post-production software. The artist holds large dark feathers that fan in front of their chest. They wear a headdress that has feathers sticking upward and a feather directed downward on each side of their face. A halo-like motif of feathers encircles above their head as if attached to the wall behind them.

ZaVa, Arles, 2013

Photograph, silver gelatin print

Private collection, Boston

This piece is a diptych, composed of two paired prints of rectangular color photographs positioned horizontally and set on a single white mat. The photograph to our right is placed slightly lower than the other on the mat. Both images are self-presentations of the artist, who has medium-dark skin. In the photograph to our right, they recline on their left side on white sheets, oriented toward the viewer. Their black hair is pulled up into a loose bundle of locs. The artist's forehead is slightly scrunched and their eyes and lips are softly shut. They rest with their left arm bent under their face and head. Their right arm is bent and tucked between their left arm and face. A white sheet is pulled up, covering their torso. In the photograph to our left, they are seen from their chest to their toes, resting on their left side, oriented toward the viewer. Their legs are pulled up with the top leg angled over the bottom leg. Their right arm is bent, draping over their chest and resting on the sheet, their fingers bent into a loose fist. Their left arm is tucked under the body with the hand resting on the sheet, their fingers curved upwards. The artist's chest and belly are obscured, and the sheets are crumpled up, with a puffy, white comforter pushed up behind them.

Bester I, Mayotte, 2015

Photograph, archival pigment print

Courtesy of the artist, Yancey Richardson Gallery, New York, Stevenson Gallery, Cape Town/Johannesburg

This vertical rectangular print of a black and white photograph reveals the artist with a semi-circular array of light-colored clothespins emanating from their topknot of locs. This head and shoulders self-presentation centers them in the composition facing the viewer. They wear a vertically striped woven cloak that reveals their prominent collarbones. Their cloak is closed with a clothespin at the center of their bare upper chest. A clothespin is also used as an earring on each ear. The artist looks directly at the viewer with a neutral expression. They have full, closed, white lips, and a broad nose. The center of their face reflects light causing white chalklike areas to define their eyebrows, central forehead, and an area around their nose. Their matte black skin has been digitally exaggerated using post-production software. Their large almond-shaped eyes contrast starkly with their brilliant white sclera and dark round reflective irises. Their forehead is high, leading to dark hair pulled tightly into a coiled knot at the top of their head. Dozens of clothespins are arranged into several rows. They are pinned in their hair and protrude vertically to form a striking crown-like headdress. The background of this self-presentation is a somewhat blurry backdrop of medium gray, mottled, irregular forms against a lighter gray tone.

Bester V, Mayotte, 2015

Photograph, archival pigment print

Courtesy of the artist, Yancey Richardson Gallery, New York, Stevenson Gallery, Cape Town/Johannesburg

This rectangular black and white print of a photograph shows the head and shoulders of the artist against a solid black background. They stare intently at the viewer with their bare shoulders turned slightly to our right. The whites of their eyes are seen in sharp contrast to their dark black skin, which has been digitally exaggerated using post-production software. They have a broad nose and full lips which have a thin white outline. A soft light from our left illuminates that side of their face, neck, upper arm, and chest. The artist’s head is covered in numerous silver scouring pads arranged in two rows around their head. Their black hair is barely shown at their hairline.

Bester VII, Newington Green, London, 2017

Photograph, archival pigment print

Courtesy of the artist, Yancey Richardson Gallery, New York, Stevenson Gallery, Cape Town/Johannesburg

This vertical black and white photograph is a self-presentation of the artist. Their face and chest occupies an approximate quarter of the composition in a narrow vertical slice that is positioned left of center, surrounded by a huge, black, horizontally striped headdress. The headdress extends to cover all of the pictorial space except three of the photograph's four corners. They gaze at the viewer directly with a neutral expression, with their body angled slightly to our left. The stark white of their eyes and their glossy, slightly parted lips contrast dramatically with their dark skin, digitally exaggerated using post-production software.

Miss Tee Menu, Parktown, 2014

Photograph, archival pigment print

Courtesy of the artist, Yancey Richardson Gallery, New York, Stevenson Gallery, Cape Town/Johannesburg

At the center of this vertical black and white print of a photograph is a slender medium-dark-skinned person seated on a cushioned leather chair. They sit on the back of the chair and face forward, with their legs bent toward our right to rest on the armrest and seat. They wear a bikini and two-toned high-heeled shoes. The bikini top is half black and half white, and the black bottom has small but wide white strings tied at each hip. There are two corded black and white ropes that drape from the center of the top to the middle of the bikini bottom, slightly to the left underneath their belly button. Their head is turned slightly downward, but they look directly at the viewer with a serious expression on their face. Above their dark eyebrows, their light-colored hair is in short, loose locs, and the sides of their hair seem cut low. Their arm to our left is extended downward and is braced on the backing of the leather, cushioned chair. Their arm to our right rests on their leg that is positioned on the raised armrest. Their other leg bends toward our right, although their long and slender calf and heeled foot closest to the viewer sits dynamically on the black and white geometrically-patterned seat base.

Somizy Sincwala, Parktown, 2014

Photograph, archival pigment print

Courtesy of the artist, Yancey Richardson Gallery, New York, Stevenson Gallery, Cape Town/Johannesburg

This vertical rectangular print of a black and white photograph shows a person with medium-dark skin viewed from the thighs up, wearing only black bikini underwear and thick, gold mesh chains wrapped loosely several times around their neck and shoulders. Their body is oriented to our right with their head facing forward, but angled down. They have a full black afro, which appears to be about twice the size of their heart-shaped face. They have dark, angled eyebrows, full lashes, a broad nose, and full lips. Their torso is thin and taut, with flat nipples and protruding upper ribs and hip bones. An obscured tattoo sits just inside their right hipbone. Their left arm is bent up with their fingers gently holding a stand of the chain. Their right arm and shoulder angle back, with that hand on their right hip. Their pose is stylish and confident, and their facial expression shows a hint of a coy smile.

Ntsantsa Tsakane, Johannesburg, 2013

Photograph, archival pigment print

Courtesy of the artist, Yancey Richardson Gallery, New York, Stevenson Gallery, Cape Town/Johannesburg

This rectangular vertical print of a black and white photograph shows a standing person with medium-dark shown from their thighs upward, wearing only short shorts with a wide ribbed waistband tied in a bow with a flat ribbon of striped cloth. They are oriented facing slightly to our left but looking out toward us. Their head is angled slightly down to our right, and their very long box braids are pushed over to one side, falling down beyond their waist to our right. The other side of their head appears to be shaved. The braids cover their left eye and cheek, revealing the right eye, nose, and lips. The visible ear is flat to their head, their thin eyebrow is arched, and their lips are softly parted. Their lower lip is pierced; two additional piercings are on their naval and just above it. They stand straight with both arms down by their side, with hands held in gentle fists as they hold the bottom of their shorts. Their torso is narrow and flat, with collarbones, nipples, and ribs protruding. The background is shadowy, with undefined furniture and objects in the lower portion; they appear to be household items, such as a wine glass on a low table.

Yaya Mavundla I, Parktown, Johannesburg, 2017

Photograph, archival pigment print

Courtesy of the artist, Yancey Richardson Gallery, New York, Stevenson Gallery, Cape Town/Johannesburg

This vertical rectangular print of a black and white photograph portrays a three-quarter pose of a person with dark skin. They are centered in the composition but face slightly to the right. They wear a shiny, gauzy material wrapped tightly around their hips like a skirt and as a band around their upper chest. The material is crossed in an X at the center of their chest and extends over their shoulders like a halter. Their midriff is bare, revealing their belly button and torso in a slight contrapposto position with their weight on their left hip. The carefully manicured nails of their left hand and the thumbnail of their right hand are painted shiny white. Their fingers rest on their upper thighs. The participant’s gaze does not engage the viewer but looks to the right in a neutral expression with slightly parted, unpainted lips and neatly groomed arched eyebrows. Their short dark hair is straightened into a coiffed style and is just long enough to touch a thin, shiny metal collar around their neck. The background is plain white.

Thulile I, Delaware, 2016

Photograph, archival pigment print

Courtesy of the artist, Yancey Richardson Gallery, New York, Stevenson Gallery, Cape Town/Johannesburg

This black and white print of a photograph is a self-presentation of the artist from the waist up. They stand oriented towards us in front of a black background holding a dark-skinned cloth doll in their arms. They stare upward with the whites of their eyes in stark contrast to their dark skin, exaggerated digitally using post-production software. They have a broad nose, prominent cheekbones, and a mournful look on their face. Their hair is slightly braided into a coil that is wound about their head, and covered by a shiny and similarly braided wrap. Their collarbones are illuminated by an unseen overhead light. The doll partially covers their chest. The doll has a white embroidered mouth surrounded by a thin line of darker threads, and the whites of its eyes are big. The doll's face is embroidered as if to look sharply to our left. There are two small white ribbons tied in its smooth dark hair. The doll's dress has two rows of dark trim at the hem. The doll wears a tri-colored bracelet on its arm to our left, which drapes across the artist's hands, and a multi-strand beaded necklace that also falls against the artist's arm to our right.

Bona, Charlottesville, 2015

Photograph, archival pigment print

Courtesy of the artist, Yancey Richardson Gallery, New York, Stevenson Gallery, Cape Town/Johannesburg

This rectangular vertical print of a black and white photograph shows the artist from behind. They lie on a bed on their back, angled away from the viewer. Their head is slightly raised with tightly braided black hair twisted about their head. Their arms are bent 90 degrees upward at the elbows to hold an oval-shaped mirror in both hands. Their face and shoulders are reflected in the mirror as they gaze into the mirror with their head tilted slightly to our left. This mirror obscures the artist’s unclothed body. Their dark skin contrasts with the fuzzy white blanket underneath them. Behind this bed hangs a white curtain that is decorated with a top border and vertical rows of patterned black medallions.

Siphilile Muholi, Quarter Hampton Inn, New York, 2016

Photograph, archival pigment print

Courtesy of the artist, Yancey Richardson Gallery, New York, Stevenson Gallery, Cape Town/Johannesburg

This is a horizontal rectangular print of a black and white photograph that was taken from behind the artist, who looks into an oval mirror with a thick black frame. They are shown from the chest up, centered, and turned slightly to our right. With their head tilted slightly down, the artist’s eyes lift to gaze forward directly out at us. The whites of their eyes stand out in contrast to the darkness of their skin, which has been digitally exaggerated with post-production software. A light source not shown lights the artist's face from below, highlighting their forehead, cheekbones, and lips. Their hair is pulled back and up and falls into a multitude of long locs which hang over their bare neck, shoulders, and chest. The background presents as four vertical rectangles in varying shades of grey—a strip of wall, a band of hanging drapes, a sheer over a window, and another band of hanging drapes.

Bona III, ISGM, Boston, 2019

Photograph, archival pigment print

Courtesy of the artist, Yancey Richardson Gallery, New York, Stevenson Gallery, Cape Town/Johannesburg

This horizontal print of a black and white photograph is a self-presentation of the artist. They lay horizontally on their back on a rumpled white bed with their head to our right. Their dark skin, digitally exaggerated with post-production software, contrasts sharply with the white bedsheets. They gaze languidly into a small round mirror with a stark white rim. The mirror is held over the center of their body by their left hand. Their face is in deep shadow but their full lips, broad nose, hooded eyes, and neutral expression can be determined by their reflection in the hand mirror. Their limbs are bent sharply, and their right ankle rests on their left thigh, which is raised off the bed by their flexed knee. The back of their right-hand brushes the top of their forehead at the origin of a tangle of long locs, which extend out to the periphery of the mattress and over their shoulders. An invisible light source creates a dark triangular shadow along the wall on the right side of the composition. A lighter shadow delineates the edge of the bed along the lower edge of the photograph. The upper edge of the white bed divides the composition horizontally. The background in the upper half is a pale gray unadorned wall.

Zazi I, ISGM, Boston, 2019

Photograph, archival pigment print

Courtesy of the artist, Yancey Richardson Gallery, New York, Stevenson Gallery, Cape Town/Johannesburg

This square print of a black and white photograph shows the artist in profile facing to the right. They have dark skin that has been digitally exaggerated in post-production software. They hold a small, round hand mirror positioned to reveal the hidden left side of their face. The light comes from the right forming a dark shadow on their shoulders, neck, and right cheek. A light glossy reflection outlines the bridge of their nose and their full, slightly parted lips. This self-presentation ends at their bare shoulders. Their left hand holds up the handle of a lollypop-shaped mirror parallel to and almost touching their face. The mirror is positioned so that the artist’s right eye, nose, and mouth are perfectly aligned beside the mirror image of the hidden left side of their face. The artist’s long, black hair is pulled away from their face into elaborate topknots that extend up from the top of their head and then cascade down their neck and back in long locs. The background is a plain light gray that becomes slightly lighter as the background progresses from left to right.

Zazi II, ISGM, Boston, 2019

Photograph, archival pigment print

Courtesy of the artist, Yancey Richardson Gallery, New York, Stevenson Gallery, Cape Town/Johannesburg

This print of a black and white photograph shows the artist in profile, their body angled to the right but their head turned to face us. They look solemnly at the viewer with their chin tilted slightly downward. The white sclera is in sharp contrast to their dark skin, which has been digitally exaggerated with post-production software. A source of light to our right illuminates their face and chest. Their long dark black locs cascade from a ponytail at the top and rear of their head. They hold a round hand mirror next to their face so that it reflects the image of the hidden side of their face. Their body casts a light shadow on the white background to our left.

Kwanele, Parktown, 2016

Photograph, archival pigment print

Courtesy of the artist, Yancey Richardson Gallery, New York, Stevenson Gallery, Cape Town/Johannesburg

This vertical rectangular print of a black and white photograph is a self-representation of the artist. Their face and a sliver of the left side of the neck and chest are in the center, surrounded by a frame of rumpled, twisted, torn, stark white fabric, which fills the sides and foreground of the photograph. Their dark skin has been digitally enhanced with post-production software so that it is difficult to delineate the contour of the right side of their face, neck, and shoulder against a black background. They face forward, their head slightly tilted to our left, and gaze directly at the viewer. Strong light casts white reflective patches on the middle of their forehead, arch of their eyebrows, bridge of their nose, and on their full, slightly parted lips. The stark white of the sclera of their eyes contrasts dramatically with their dark irises containing reflective centers.

MaID I, Syracuse, 2015

Photograph, archival pigment print

Courtesy of the artist, Yancey Richardson Gallery, New York, Stevenson Gallery, Cape Town/Johannesburg

This diptych, composed of two paired prints of rectangular black and white photographs positioned vertically and set on a single white mat, shows two self-representations of the artist. In both photographs, the artist is nude except for white gloves and a large woven basket-like hat which covers their hair. They have dark skin, digitally exaggerated with post-production software, and stand in front of a black background. In the photograph on the right, their posture is upright but their shoulders are rounded. Their arms are held close to their body, bent at the elbow with white-gloved hands clutching at their neck, their left hand over their right, with forearms covering their chest. Illumination is evident across the lower band of the hat and on the center of their forehead. Their gaze is to off our left and their expression is somewhat wary. In the image to our right, they are oriented to our right with their head facing forward. Their arms are held up and bent with fisted hands in a boxing pose, revealing their chest and nipples. They stare directly at us.

Ndivile II Malmö, 2014

Photograph, archival pigment print

Courtesy of the artist, Yancey Richardson Gallery, New York, Stevenson Gallery, Cape Town/Johannesburg

This vertical rectangular print of a black and white photograph is a self-presentation of the artist. They are centered in the composition facing the viewer. They have an ovular-shaped head, with a small and close left ear, full matte lips, and a broad nose. Their prominent cheekbones are in deep shadow within their dark skin, which has been digitally exaggerated using post-production software. Their large almond-shaped eyes contrast starkly with the brilliant whites of their eyes and dark round reflective irises. Dozens of chopsticks are arranged somewhat haphazardly in their hair and protrude to form a striking crownlike headdress. They wear a medium gray, boat neck shirt that reveals prominent shoulder blades and collarbones. The background is an indistinct street scene composed of tonal variations of gray masses that form horizontal elements on the left and a strong vertical mass on the right.

Phila I, Parktown, Johannesburg, 2016

Photograph, silver gelatin print

Courtesy of the artist, Yancey Richardson Gallery, New York, Stevenson Gallery, Cape Town/Johannesburg

This rectangular vertical print of a black and white photograph is a self-presentation of the artist. Their head and torso are centered in the composition in front of a plain, light gray background. Their dark skin has been digitally exaggerated using post-production software. They face the viewer directly with a neutral expression. Strong light from the front forms white reflections that delineate their eyebrows, cheekbones, and lower lip. There is a white cloudlike reflection in the center of their forehead and there is a striking round, white, reflected dot at the tip of their nose. They appear to be unclothed except for many inflated black latex gloves arranged around them. The balloon-like gloves form an extensive headdress that surrounds their head and extends to the top and side margins of the photograph. Inflated gloves also cover their torso. Behind the many gloves, their left arm hangs down and the right arm appears to be bent at the elbow. The artist's actual hands are hidden.

Aphelile IV, Durban, 2020

Photograph, archival pigment print

Courtesy of the artist, Yancey Richardson Gallery, New York, Stevenson Gallery, Cape Town/Johannesburg

This square, black and white print of a photograph is a self-presentation of the artist against a gray background. They face us with their head slightly tilted forward, wearing white disposable surgical masks and white latex medical gloves which contrast with their dark skin. One mask is tied over the tip of their nose, lips, and chin, revealing their forehead and eyes which peer up and out. Their hair is pulled back and up into an asymmetrical knot at the top of their head. A second mask is tied horizontally in front of the knot with the top straps; the bottom straps hang straight down, framing their face. The artist’s arms are bent up with the fingers of each hand touching the tops of their ears, creating a triangle shape against the background. Illumination from our left side lights up the artist’s forehead and neck on that side.

Cwazimula, ISGM, Boston, 2019

Photograph, archival pigment print

Courtesy of the artist, Yancey Richardson Gallery, New York, Stevenson Gallery, Cape Town/Johannesburg

This vertical rectangular black and white print of a photograph is a self-presentation of the artist’s head and chest. Their dark skin, digitally exaggerated in post-production software, appears in sharp contrast to the padded shiny silver material of insulated reusable grocery bags turned inside-out. They wear one bag on their head like a hood and another protrudes from the bottom of the image and covers the front of their chest. They wear a pair of silver wired headphones around their neck, almost like a choker necklace, and the slim silver cords dangle down in front of their chest. Their bare shoulders nearly blend into the very dark black background. The artist peers past us to our right with a solemn look. A light source from our right illuminates their face, especially their forehead, the bridge of their nose, their cheekbones, and lips, as well as the metal casing on the headphones and the silver material of the grocery bags.

Cwazimula II, Paris, France, 2019

Photograph, archival pigment print

Courtesy of the artist, Yancey Richardson Gallery, New York, Stevenson Gallery, Cape Town/Johannesburg

This vertical rectangular print of a black and white photograph is a self-presentation of the artist. The image is a partial view of a shiny silver metal cylinder resting on a massive pile of crumpled silver foil on a light background. Various shades of gray with accents of black and white highlight the texture of the scrunched foil. Vertical stripes of black and dark gray alternate with lighter ones on the cylinder, representing reflected images and light on the surface. Toward the bottom of the cylinder, a round hole is cut out, revealing the face of the artist. Only their forehead, eyes, nose, lips, and cheeks are visible. The stark whiteness of their eyes contrasts with their dark skin, which they digitally exaggerated using post-production software. They look forward and directly at the viewer. The crumpled foil is reflected on the cylinder below the cut-out portion.

Makhosothando, 2020

Acrylic paint on canvas

Private Collection, New York

This acrylic vertical painting is a large-scale head and shoulders self-presentation of the artist. They use a wide range of browns, grays, black, and tan brush strokes to indicate their facial skin tones. Their body is turned slightly to our right so that their right ear is shown alongside their rather long, narrow face. Their upper lip is small, wing-shaped, and unsmiling. Strong white light obscures their lower lip. Their large, dark, almond-shaped eyes are directed towards the viewer. Their braided hair forms a net-like cap that is loosely drawn with quick, thin parallel and intersecting brush strokes. Strong light plays over their hair and around their right eye. This intense white light takes on a hint of sky blue color around their upper lip. The color comes from its reflection off a huge, three-tiered, pale blue ruff-like collar that encircles and entirely obscures their neck. The collar hugs the contours of their chin and jaw line up to their ear and is disconnected from the charcoal gray, plain garment covering their shoulders and chest. The background of the painting is an intense blue-green.

Zibuyile I, 2021

Acrylic paint on canvas

Princeton University Art Museum. Museum purchase, Hugh Leander Adams, 

Mary Trumbull Adams and Hugh Trumbull Adams Princeton Art Fund

The focus of this large vertical acrylic painting is the heads and torsos of two figures with dark black skin, both self-representations of the artist. The figure to our right faces out at the viewer and the figure to our left turns slightly to our left, looking out to our left. Their sclera are light brownish-pink and their almond-shaped eyes are encircled with white lines. They each have matte reddish lips and broad noses. Both figures have their curly black hair in large afros with tall water buffalo horns rising above their heads. The figure to the left wears a gray and white scale-like robe and the figure to our right wears a similar garment, but in blue and white with yellow at the center of their chest. A white negative space lies between their heads, but the remainder of the background is an intense dark blue color.

Phiwokwakhe, 2021

Acrylic paint on canvas

Collection of Pamela and David Hornik

This large vertical rectangular acrylic painting on canvas is a self-presentation of the artist. They stand facing us and are pictured from their hips up. The short hair on their head, angled eyebrows, downturned moustache, and trim beard are all painted in bird’s egg blue with white highlights. Their ears, shown flush to the side of the head, are outlined in black. Their eyes are outlined in a thin black line, and they gaze straight out at the viewer. Their face is painted in shades of brown, with the tip of the nose slightly lighter. The well-defined, dark brown lips are softly pursed. They have their hands in their pants pockets and wears a slightly open-neck white shirt with blue trim on the collar and front edges, and four blue buttons. Their suit is sky blue; deeper colored lines on the front of the sleeves indicate subtle wrinkles. The breast pocket on their left side holds a brown, folded pocket square. A white cuff emerges at the wrist from the righthand sleeve, and the artist's dark brown skin peeks out at each wrist. The artist wears a purple belt with white vertical bands and white holes for securing the buckle. The background is solid white.

Somile, 2021

Acrylic paint on canvas

Christine and Richard Mack Collection

This large acrylic painting on canvas is a head and shoulder self-presentation of the artist against a plain white background. Their body is oriented to our left with their head turned toward the viewer. They look directly outward. They have dark black skin with light blue reflections on their chin and along their jawline. Their eyes are circled in blue as if they wear make-up. Their head is encircled by three large colored circular shapes of pink, gold, blue, white, and brown hues, almost like balloons. A pink tassel hangs along their neck to our left and a brown strap falls around their neck. This headdress of sorts appears to be braced against their back with a bluish-yellow attachment. A dark pink curvilinear shape is painted on their shoulder closest to us.

Cwephesha, 2021

Acrylic paint on canvas

Bill and Christy Gautreaux collection, Kansas City, Missouri

This large vertical acrylic painting on canvas is a self-presentation of the artist shown from the hips up, facing us, with their left arm raised nearly touching the top of the canvas. Their figure fills the center third of the painting. They have dark skin modeled in charcoal gray tones. Their face has slightly lighter shades of gray, with black eyebrows, almond-shaped dark eyes, a wide nose, and full maroon-colored lips. They gaze out and slightly to our left. Their raised left arm is slightly bent at the elbow and the fingers of their left hand are slightly curled. Their right shoulder drops down slightly and their right arm is out of view. The figure wears a pink swim cap composed of petal shapes and a cherry red one-piece swimsuit with thick straps and a dotted white line around their waist. The horizon line is along the bottom third of the canvas, near the figure's waist. It bisects the background into a flat yellow bottom and a flat cobalt blue top.

Itha, 2021

Acrylic paint on canvas

Tamara White Collection, Berkeley, California

This large vertical rectangular acrylic painting on canvas portrays a head and shoulders view of the artist wearing a huge floral headdress composed of leafy green, yellow, orange, pink, and reddish-brown fronds. Small white petaled flowers with yellow centers are interspersed among the long narrow leaves, forming a large halo around their head. Their slightly hunched, nude body has reddish-brown skin mottled with darker toned shadows and stark white contouring. Their close-cropped red-brown hair forms a tight cap around the top of their head. Their body is turned to our right with their left hand resting on their right shoulder. Their head turns towards us and their eyes stare directly at us with a neutral expression. Their large oval eyes are outlined in black, as are their arched eyebrows made with short dashes and dots of black paint. The background of the painting is solid white.

Walila, 2021

Acrylic paint on canvas

Collection of Guillermo Nicolas & Jim Foster

This rectangular vertical acrylic painting is a self-presentation of the artist. Their body is oriented facing our right with one shoulder raised up in front and the other shoulder drooping down in back. They have dark skin, a large, prominent afro, and a penetrating facial expression. Their narrow face turns to look straight out to the viewer, but their gaze is somewhat unfocused. They have a high forehead, wide eyes, a long nose, and full lips that are slightly pursed. Their right ear is shown flat to the side of their head. Flecks of white appear in the hair, and light reflects off the face below the right eye, down to the lips, and off the side of their right shoulder. They appear to be wearing a round-neck dark brown or black top with a fuzzy texture. The background is solid green.

Phelela, 2021

Acrylic paint on canvas

Private collection, Columbus, Ohio

This large vertical rectangular acrylic painting on canvas shows the neck and head of the artist at the center. They have dark skin, almond-shaped eyes, black eyebrows, and full pale pink lips. They wear green circular earrings with pale yellow centers. Their curly black hair is in a large afro atop their head with three large wide tooth combs stuck in their hair. They are draped in a bright yellowish-orange cloth in the lower third, and the background behind them is dark pink in the middle, and white at the top.

Phupho, 2021

Acrylic paint on canvas

Collection of Shari D. Behnke, Seattle, Washington

This large vertical rectangular acrylic painting on canvas is a frontal view of the upper body of the artist dressed in a bright blue suit jacket, coral shirt, and a yellow tie with irregular, small, tan dots. Their dark, reddish-brown skin and black hair contrast starkly with the plain off-white background of the painting. Their hair is stylized into a high-top afro, with a geometric, stair-step tapered style cut into their top left side. A prominent and close-cut edge leads to a squared-off forehead, above which a diagonal line is cut into the hair. Their black arched eyebrows frame large reflective black eyes, surrounded by an oval of white sclera outlined in black. Their eyes meet the viewer’s gaze directly. Their unsmiling, closed-lip expression is neutral.