Michael Boyd Roman: Worth a Negus Wait in Gold
Category: Event Calendar
Date and Time
- Wed, Aug 28, 2024 - Sat, Oct 5, 2024 11am - 4am
Location
Akron Soul Train
191 S Main St
Details
Artist-in-Resident Michael Boyd Roman unveils “Worth a Negus Wait in Gold,” a series that seeks to upend the contextual history of Black portraiture by focusing on images of the highest self. “Worth a Negus Wait in Gold” speaks to the unnerving experience of being both hyper-visible and invisible at the same time. The collection explores this constant supervision, either overt or covert, perpetuated by even well-intentioned people. Using mixed-media and charcoal drawings, Roman’s pieces feature the ordinary grace of the contemporary Black experience alongside religious iconography from the spiritual belief systems of the African Diaspora. It is then contextualized in scenes with modern motifs from Hip Hop and pop culture. Divine Black beauty radiates in Roman’s “Worth a Negus Wait in Gold,” a new and needed narrative abound.
“In showcasing divine Black beauty, I provide contemporary images that are positive and spiritual to counter long-held historical narratives that are applied to contemporary representations of the Black experience. Using the symbols and iconography of spiritual perfection that have reinforced concepts of white supremacy and hegemony for centuries, I empower my figures to embody and occupy similar positions of prestige, power, and purity.”
– Michael Boyd Roman
