Voices of the Diaspora: The Artisans Behind the Canvas

Dominque White (1993- ) is a British sculptural and performance artist who deals heavily in themes of Afrofuturism, Afro-pessimism, and Hydrarchy. She is deeply interested in the mythology of the ocean and the Black diaspora. Much of her sculptural work incorporates found materials and ships. White is interested in the lives and afterlives of objects as well as the relation of ships to the African diaspora. 

Duwane Coates is a Cuban filmmaker, photographer, painter, and conservator. His work tackles complex issues like migration, neo-Black identity, racism in Cuba and the cultural nuances of being Afro-Cuban in today's society. 

Ebony G. Patterson (1981-) is a Jamaican mixed-media artist whose work explores gender and Jamaican dancehall culture. Patterson’s bright and colorful art represents transformations of gender and body politics by blending tapestry, beading, sequins, and crochet, with Internet-sourced images of violent murders. The resulting pieces seduce the viewer with mesmerizing and striking textures. “I’m hoping…,” she explains, “to pull the viewer in to see further and raise questions about how we engage in the act of looking.” Patterson’s work thus elicits a civic awareness that raises the stakes for popular culture. 

Edouard Duval-Carrié (1954- ) is a Haitian-American mixed-media painter and sculptor whose art focuses on the overlooked prosperity of Haitian culture, its complex sociopolitical history, and Vodun—an African diasporic religion based in Haiti and other parts of the West Indies. ⁠The surreal settings interpret Haitian history and the present. Using translucent mediums, such as glitter, glass, and resin, he invites visitors to reflect on the multiplex histories within Haiti.  Duval-Carrié studied at the Université de Montréal and McGill University in Canada before graduating with a BA from Loyola College, Montréal in 1978. He later attended the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, France, from 1988 to 1989.

Eilen Itzel Mena (1994- ) is a Dominican artist, writer, and community organizer. She works across painting, printmaking, drawing, and installation. Mena uses various colors in an abstract setting to expand and revise what is communicated through our relationships with ourselves, others, the earth, and the universe. She documents a femme Afro-diasporic intersectional experience.  Mena received her BA in Fine Arts with an emphasis on sculpture from the University of Southern California in 2017. She received her MFA in Painting at the Slade School of Fine Arts in 2024. 

El Anatsui (1944- ) is a Ghanaian sculptor who has worked most of his career in Nigeria.  Anatsui had a large role in constructing African modernist forms. During his time as a young art student, he wanted to build a practice grounded in African art traditions. El Anatsui's use of discarded materials reflects his belief in the transformative power of reusing materials and the connection of that process to Africa. He is well known for his large bottlecap sculptures that reflect on the history of colonialism, trade, and textile traditions. His other works using found materials include wood sculptures and pottery.  Anatsui received his BA and postgraduate diploma both from the  Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi, Ghana in 1968 and 1969 respectively. 

Eldzier Cortor (1916-2015) was an American printmaker and painter. Cortor often depicted his subjects in elongated forms. Many of his works featured women and working class Black Americans. He is considered one of the first Black artists to depict nude women as the central theme of his work. He sought to show the strength of Black women. He was active in the South Side Community Art Center and the wider Works Progress Adminstration program.  Cortor received his bachelor's degree with the Art Institute of Chicago in 1936. 

Elizabeth Catlett (1915-2012) was an American artist from Washington, D.C. She primarily created sculptures and prints. Informed by the African American experience, her work focused on female power and justice. 

Ellen Gallagher (1965- ) is an American visual artist from Providence, Rhode Island. As Gallagher's career progressed, her art evolved to become more experimental and conceptually layered. Her work often addresses the complexities of Black identity, challenging stereotypical portrayals and offering new narratives that celebrate resilience and cultural heritage. Gallagher's unique style incorporates a wide range of media, including painting, drawing, printmaking, and sculpture. She often employs a meticulous and labor-intensive approach to her art, blending elements of abstraction, symbolism, and surrealism.  Gallagher spent one year at Oberlin College in Ohio (1982–1984) and studied writing. She did not finish her degree there and ended up joining a carpenters' union in Seattle. She attended Studio 70 in Fort Thomas, Kentucky, in 1989 before earning a degree in fine arts from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston in 1992. Her art education continued in 1993 at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture for additional training. 

Emanoel Araújo (1940-2022) was a Brazilian visual artist and museologist. In the 1960s, Emanoel Araújo moved from Bahia to São Paulo, where he established himself as an influential sculptor in Brazil. During this period, he also embarked on a journey of discovering and preserving African and Afro-Brazilian art forms, recognizing the importance of these cultural treasures in the formation of Brazilian identity. Emanoel Araújo's work is characterized by a harmonious blend of African, Afro-Brazilian, and modernist aesthetics. His sculptures often feature human figures, mythological beings, and abstract forms, imbued with a sense of spirituality and cultural significance. Araújo's work celebrates the beauty and diversity of African and Afro-Brazilian heritage, highlighting themes of identity, memory, and resilience. Some specific influences include Yoruba textile traditions and orisha mythos.  He founded the Museu Afro Brasil in 2004 and served as curator and executive director until he died. He studied printmaking and engraving at the Escola de Belas Artes da Bahia (UFBA).