Jaru Art

Reaching, ca. 1980. Cast bronze. Signed in lower region on wrist. A rare example from the artist's later period influenced by figurative abstraction with expressionist tendencies. James Edward Lewis (August 4, 1923 – August 9, 1997) was an African-American artist, art collector, professor, and curator in the city of Baltimore. He is best known for his role as the leading force for the creation of the James E. Lewis Museum of Art, an institution of the HBCU Morgan State University. His work as the chairman of the Morgan Art Department from 1950 to 1986 allowed for the museum to amass a large collection of more than 3,000 works, predominantly of African and African diasporan art.[1] In addition, he is also well known for his role as an interdisciplinary artist, primarily focused on sculpture, though also having notable examples of lithography and illustration. His artistic style throughout the years has developed from an earlier focus on African-American history and historical figures, for which he is most notable as an artist, to a more contemporary style of African-inspired abstract expressionism. Early and personal life James E. Lewis was born in rural Phenix, Virginia on August 4, 1923 to James T. Lewis and Pearline (Pearlean) Harvey.[5] Lewis' parents were both sharecroppers. Shortly after his birth, his father moved to Baltimore for increased job opportunity; James E. was subsequently raised by his mother until the family was reunited in 1925. They lived for a short time with distant relatives until moving to a four-bedroom house on 1024 North Durham Street in East Baltimore, a predominantly African-American lower-class neighborhood close to Johns Hopkins Hospital. Lewis' primary school, PS 101, was the only public school in East Baltimore that served black children. Lewis grew up in a church-going family, his parents both active members of the Faith Baptist Church, devoting the entirety of their Sundays to church activities. His parents worked a variety of different jobs throughout his youth:[6] his father working as a stevedore for a shipping company, a mechanic, a custodian, a mailroom handler,[6] and an elevator operator.] His mother worked as both a clerk at a drugstore[7] and a laundress for a private family.[4] Lewis' primary exposure to the arts came from Dr. Leon Winslow, a faculty member at PS 101 who Lewis saw as "providing encouragement and art materials to those who wanted and needed it." In fifth grade, Lewis transferred to PS 102. Here, he was able to receive specialized Art Education in Ms. William's class under the guidance of Winslow. He was considered a standout pupil at PS 102 as a result of his introduction to the connection between the arts and the other studies. His time spent in Ms. Pauline Wharton's class allowed for him to experiment with singing, to which he was considered a talented singer. His involvement in this class challenged his earlier belief that singing was not a masculine artistic pursuit. He was able to study both European classics and negro spirituals, which was one of his earliest introductions to arts specific to American black culture. Under Ms. Wharton's direction, he was also involved in many different musical performances,[6] including some works of the Works Progress Administration's Federal Theatre Project.[8] Lewis attended Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, where his love of the arts was heightened through his industrial art class with Lee Davis...

"Anti-tank Hedgehog 3" Sculpture 13 x 13 x 13 in Edition 1/1 by ILLYA TIGOIS Unique sculpture Materials: steel 3-8mm. Welding, metalworking. ABOUT THE ARTIST Illya Trofymchuk is...

"Hexagon 3" Wall Sculpture 39 x 24 x 5 in Ed. 1/1 by ILLYA TIGOIS Title: Hexagon 3 Unique sculpture Medium: steel & acrylic varnish,gold leaf ABOUT THE ARTIST Illya Trofymchuk is...

This unique Murano glass sculpture by Paul Kostabi is a unique example of Venetian craftsmanship. Mouth-blown and hand-cut at the Hofmeister Glass Factory in Amberg, it is a truly un...

"Fragment 01" Wall Sculpture 31 x 33 x 2 in Ed. 1/5 by ILLYA TIGOIS Title: Fragment 01 Medium: steel & acrylic paint (varnish) “Amorphous structures” - it's a series of works about...

"Amorphous Structures 2" Wall Sculpture 45 x 68 x 5 in Ed. 1/5 by ILLYA TIGOIS Title: Amorphous Structures 2, Flesh Medium: steel & acrylic paint (varnish) “Amorphous structures” -...

Hand built heavily glazed solid ceramic structure by NY artist Judy Engel. Expressionist style hand built and heavily glazed in a high metallic palladium glaze. Judy's first introduction to this style was the Empire State Plaza in Albany, NY. "In the 1970s, upstate school kids...

"Amorphous Structures 5" Wall Sculpture 44 x 31.5 x 4 in Ed. 1/5 by ILLYA TIGOIS Title: Amorphous Structures 5, The Body Medium: steel & acrylic paint (varnish) “Amorphous structur...

"Amorphous Structures 3" Wall Sculpture 36 x 27.5 x 4 in Ed. 1/1 by ILLYA TIGOIS Unique sculpture Medium: steel & acrylic paint (varnish) “Amorphous structures” - it's a series of...

"MAOLA 7" Steel Wall Sculpture 43 x 28 x 4 in Edition 1/1 by ILLYA TIGOIS Unique sculpture Medium: steel & acrylic varnish The "MAOLA" project is a series of works aimed at allowi...

"Vortex" Wall Sculpture 39 x 39 x 8 in Ed. 1/2 by ILLYA TIGOIS Medium: steel & acrylic varnish,copper leaf ABOUT THE ARTIST Illya Trofymchuk is a Ukrainian sculptor and founder of...

"Unity" Steel Sculpture 158 x 39 x 20 in Edition 1/3 by ILLYA TIGOIS Unique sculpture Medium: steel & stainless steel The "MAOLA" project is a series of works aimed at allowing th...