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Berkeley is hosting three satellite exhibitions of the Richmond Art Center’s “Art of the African Diaspora” show.
Bay Area artists Jan Hart-Schuyers and Rae Louise Hayward created the exhibition, originally titled “Art of Living Black,” in 1997 to expand opportunities for Black artists. Nearly three dozen artists — many who had been involved with Colors of Black, a salon for African American artists organized several years prior — participated in the inaugural exhibit at Richmond Art Center.
The Art of the African Diaspora was renamed in 2019 to “incorporate a broader vision of the African Diaspora,” according to its organizers. The show has grown to feature 150 Black artists, whose works will be displayed in the event’s main exhibit in Richmond — as well as across 44 satellite shows in Bay Area art galleries, libraries, shops and even a chiropractor clinic.
The Berkeley exhibits are at ACCI Gallery on Shattuck Avenue (through Feb. 25), Gallery 2727 on California Street (through Feb. 29) and North Berkeley Wealth Management’s Solano Avenue office (through March 29).
At 4 p.m. Saturday at the ACCI Gallery, member Julie Atkinson — who has three of her own paintings on display at the North Berkeley artist co-op — will moderate a conversation with five other Black artists: Akaysha Calhoun, Sloane Gross, Kelvin Curry, Xan Walker and Xioneida Ruiz. The event is free, though you’re asked to RSVP.
Atkinson, who was raised in the South Bay and moved to Weston, Connecticut, when she was 12, didn’t know any artists growing up. A Stanford Law grad, she practiced law for a decade before finding her passion for art through online tutorials and community art classes. (She credits her mentor Jodi Mattison at the Center for Community Arts in Walnut Creek for teaching her figure drawing.)
Berkeleyside caught up with Atkinson in advance of the panel to discuss her career path, artistic process and why she chooses to highlight natural hair in her work. This interview has been condensed and edited.
You started with watercolor. Now your focus is on oil painting. How did you find the right medium?
Watercolors are the easiest to set up and clean up. I was finding different videos and classes, and they’d talk about the differences between watercolor and acrylic paint, so I tried that for a while. I was always curious about oils — with traditional oils, there’s a lot of cleanup involved and different solvents — it just seemed kind of intimidating, so I kept digging online and discovered water soluble oils, which is what I use now. Those you can clean up with dish soap and water, instead of solvents. It was appealing to me, because at the time my two children were younger and they’d be around and want to use my things or see what I’m doing.
How long have you been involved with “Art of the African Diaspora”?
It’s my third year participating, and having done it for several years, I recognize a lot from people I’ve met at previous shows. There’s a sense of community: You see some of the people who have been doing this for a couple decades helping and mentoring the ones who are coming up, which is really nice, especially as someone who didn’t have a formal art school background or know many artists. It’s also a great chance to get exposure … to get into a gallery or get noticed.
Your three paintings at ACCI are titled Hyacinth, Bird of Paradise and Tree of Life. Do you often find inspiration from nature?
I’m working on portraits imagining women as flowers and abstracting around that — taking inspiration from the colors and textures. Bird of Paradise, for example, has got some brighter colors inspired by the flower, and shapes that look sharp and fierce. I’ve started to do more connecting women and nature, and integrating imagery of both. To me, it goes back to that sense of peace and a little bit of dreaminess. I’ve done three so far, and am working on a fourth and fifth (the two works in progress will take inspiration from the rose and peony).
All three works depict Black women and their natural hair. Why?
When I was growing up, I didn’t always see a lot of images of Black women that were beautiful, peaceful and self-confident. It was in the ’80s and ’90s, and it was just very limited — the kind of imagery that you’d get. I wanted to see myself in a place of peace and self-affirmation, so I found online photos of models in different poses and expressions that spoke to me, and would paint that.
As part of that, I like to make the hair really big and textured to make that a prominent feature. For me, that’s been a recurring theme over my life: What do I do with my hair? Do I look professional? Do I need to look a certain way? For a long time, I felt that I needed to straighten my hair in order to look professional, and now I’m in my 40s, and I’m not totally sure what I look like naturally — it’s kind of messed up. I’ve since stopped straightening my hair and often wear it in braids.
Finally, I’m coming to a place where I’m trying to feel more confident with my own appearance and showing up naturally, as I am. Reflecting that in my art is important to me. It’s important for me, my daughter, and Black women to see that we’re beautiful as we are.
