Janice Frame

"Etched in Traditions" Portrait of a woman with flower crown in African dress

2024

"As an African-American artist in today’s world, I embody the vast differences found in our collective backgrounds. I view them as cultural assets. We are always self discovering and...

"As an African-American artist in today’s world, I embody the vast differences found in our collective backgrounds. I view them as cultural assets. We are always self discovering and...

Emotan is an original painting by Barnabas Macauley. Emotan was created with Mixed Media (Charcoal, Acrylic, and Pencil on a primed 24W by 30H inches canvas. Emotan (real name Uwarraye) was a 15th-century market woman who plied her trade at the Oba Market in the ancient kingdom of Benin during the reign of Oba Uwaifiokun and Oba Ewuare the Great. She was known for her humanitarian work, love for children, and most importantly the key role she played during the period of Prince Ogun’s (Oba Ewuare I) succession travails following his time in exile. Although Emotan had no biological children of her own, Emotan loved and took care of many children in her foster home. Some parents would send their children to live with Emotan and learn some trades from her for a period of time. She also kept and trained orphans, many of which indeed became industrious and useful members of society. (Osaze Amadasun) In this Becoming series, I hope to revive our heritage as well as examine the intricacies of self-actualization, vis-a-vis drawing inspiration from the African history from the Benin and Esan perspective, contemporarily. Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity (Issued by the Gallery) About Artist Macaulay Barnabas Osagie is a self-taught Artist and a graduate of the prestigious University of Benin, Nigeria, West Africa. Hailed from Benin heritage, which is known for its rich history, culture, and traditions. Growing up, He was fascinated by esthetics as a form of expression; this propelled his journey into the world of art. His passion for art began at the age of five, scribbling images on the ground using sticks—it evolved into drawings in primary and secondary schools. He was often selected among students to represent my secondary school in various art competitions. "Knowing that Art fuels my existence and helps me connect with the world better, in 2018, I decided to not only do art for love and relief, but to explore it professionally, and build a renowned career in the industry. One that reflects my views on societal issues and serves as an echo of hope. Determined to pay my dues, I had the privilege of working at Prince Saheed Adelakun's Olokun Art Studio in Abule-Egba, Lagos. It was there I met with other professionals. I created my first series titled "Odan Series"; which was expressed via hyperrealism. I created this series at the point when my life was in shambles; I was going through a rough phase; working on this series was my solace at the time. "Over the years, I have created brilliant artworks using charcoal and pencil on paper and have evolved using acrylic and charcoal on canvas as my primary media of visual articulation; these works take various forms and for various purposes, all a reflection of my creativity and depth. I am drawn to figurative African contemporary art and surrealism...

Based in New Orleans, James Henderson’s work explores the concept of memory and the idea of ‘home’ as an emotional space, rather than a physical one. Utilizing found imagery and text as a starting point, Henderson collages and layers his mixed media paintings to create a rich background onto which he often adds the silhouette of a figure, an icon of a house, or colorful drawings of children or shapes. The inclusion of imagery from vintage dress patterns...