Otto Neals

Venus Rising

2020

After reading about the Civil War in an Ebony Magazine Encyclopedia series, Gray illustrated the heroism of the black soldiers who fought in the Civil War. The all-black 54th Regiment of Massachusetts fighting unit, has been the most mentioned fighting unit, bit there were other units if black soldiers that fought in the War Between the States. In "Blue and Gray", Gray depicts a battle scene between the black regiment, the Massachusetts 54th, and a confederate regiment against the backdrop of enslaved blacks work in the cotton field. The collection of available works artist Johnnie Lee Gray is handled exclusively by Neema Fine Art Gallery, an art gallery featuring phenomenal works of art by phenomenal Southern African American artists. Artist, Johnnie Lee Gray was born in Spartanburg County, South Carolina in 1941. In his early years, Gray demonstrated artistic talent, painting & drawing as a way to express his emotions & depict his surroundings. Working alongside his grandparents in the fields of their sharecropper farm, & later as a carpenter, textile mill worker, & house painter, Gray learned early on to use the materials of his milieu to create works of art that drew on his memories & experiences as a black American man. After graduating from the county’s segregated Lincoln High School in 1960, Gray enlisted in the Army, where he served for seven years, including an 18-month volunteer tour of duty in Vietnam. As a Vietnam Veteran and self-taught artist, Gray’s work illustrated his experiences in the military as an African-American and the participation of black people in the history of the American and world landscape. Described as “visionary” “outsider” artist, the patterned shapes, visual texture, vibrant palettes and repetitive forms showcased in his paintings are recognizable characteristics of his historical narratives. The PBS television series, The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow...

This painting captures the sense of "double victory" the Tuskegee Airmen fought for--victory abroad and victory at home. The Tuskegee Airmen was the all-black World War II fighter squadron that never lost a bomber. The flag-wrapped Statue of Liberty's ringing of the Liberty Bell against the backdrop of clouds shaped in "V"s mirror the optimism some blacks had. They hoped that helping to win World War II would translate into victory against Jim Crow...

Awendaw Shrimpin', 2020

Charleston Peaks, 2020

Battery Most, 2020

Oyster Diggin', 2020

Homage to the classic double strand pearl necklace. The fusion of digital and hand painted elements give this artwork distinct character and individuality. The one-of-a-kind Giclée p...

This dress painting features an interplay of paint and lace textile with an outcome both expressive and refined. Through the process of adding and subtrac...

This is the forth in a series of intimate paintings exploring colour combinations using fragments of Fortuny textiles. Through the use of paint, paper and fabric, the simplified comp...

This detailed artwork on paper puts emphasis on design and composition. A Navajo inspired rug motif is created using traditional design elements with a contemporary outcome. Symmetry...

Cross Purpose Temple Series 8, 2022. Acrylic and acrylic ink on paper, 27 x 35cm Nicky Marais is a Namibian artist, educator and activist who lives and works in Windhoek. Marais is ...

Women on Horseback, 2022 by Carl Karni-Bain (Bai) is a 43" x 53" large contemporary acrylic painting on canvas mounted to a wooden stretcher frame. The tonal painting is signed on recto (front) by African-American artist Bai. "Colour becomes symbols I use to reflect emotional stages that humans experience – reds for the violent past, blues, greens for the peace to come, and yellow and oranges for the bright future ahead. The latter is not guaranteed in my paintings. However, I think it is attainable in life." ~BAI, Harlem, New York City *** Artist's Bio: For three decades BAI (Carl Karni-Bain) 1959 - has exhibited regularly in the San Francisco Bay Area, North Carolina, and New York City. As an artist in over two dozen international art fairs since 2003, BAI has garnered an audience worldwide. In 2013 Thelma Golden, Director of The Studio Museum...