An ongoing exhibit at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library is celebrating its third year as part of the “Art of the African Diaspora” exhibition, honoring Black art and expression.
This year along with the Richmond Art Center, the San José Public Library continues its tribute during Black History Month, highlighting the contributions of Black artists.
“Art of the African Diaspora” brings together works that explore heritage, identity, and resistance, continuing the tradition since 1989, according to the SJSU event page.
The main exhibit is held at the Richmond Art Center, accompanied by satellite exhibits across the Bay Area including the San José Public Library, showcasing the diversity of artistic expression within the African diaspora.
The exhibition originated as “Colors of Black,” organized by artist Marie Johnson-Calloway, and was a salon for artists to share their experiences and exposure to the African American art community, according to the same source.
This year, SJSU and the San José Public Library are hosting a satellite exhibit as part of their Black History Month reflections and as a tribute to the legacy of Black labor across professions and generations, according to the San José State University event page.
Eboni Harris, a San José librarian, highlighted the importance of this event and the impact it has had on the artists involved.
“It is the longest-running event of its kind in the Bay Area, originating in 1989 “The Art of the African Diaspora,” in partnership with the Richmond Art Center, supports artists of African descent and the Bay Area through representation, professional development and building a creative community,” said Harris. The artwork on display employs mixed media through paintings and sculptures that encourage visitors to engage with the themes of resilience, justice, and remembrance.
“This is San José Public Library’s third year of being a satellite for this marvelous exhibit and celebration,” said Harris. On Feb. 15, San José Public Library hosted a “Meet the Artists” event to allow people to connect with the artists and ask questions about their work.
The artists behind the “Art of the African Diaspora” shared their stories, inspiration, and creative processes throughout creating their works and their connection to their African American heritage.
Justice Renaissance, a sculptor featured in the exhibit as well as one of its curators, expressed the lasting effect of their work with the exhibit as a part of his history.
“If the world is destroyed and one of my pieces is around 10,000 years from now, I want it to be identified as part of my culture,” said Renaissance.
Renaissance’s sculptural work embodies the fusion between history and identity through bold forms and textured surfaces.
These sculptures pay tribute to the past and his statements to engage with the complexity of Black cultural narratives.
“Each piece plays a part of the exhibit represents every artist's distinct experience as some artists pull from African traditions or cultural expressions while others focus on the contemporary issues of race and identity,” Harris said.
She also said the exhibit explores the broader theme of one identity aligning with the cultural expectations that challenge these artists' creativity.
Through his work, Renaissance provided a platform to explore and convey their unique perspectives on identity, using art as a powerful tool to illustrate their journey.
“And that goes beyond Black to me. That’s whether you’re gay, straight, trans, whoever– be bold and beautiful about it,” Renaissance said. “Be proud about it.”
For some artists in the exhibit, their art is deeply connected to their link to the antagonistic moments of the past.
Donna Gatson, a silversmith and painter who has lived in the Bay Area since 1976 and studied sociology at SJSU, shared how her family history shaped her work at the “Meet the Artists” talk.
“You’ll see some of my pieces are dealing with antique ledger paper from the 1800s, which are a nod to the slave ledgers. And I was just driven to do portraits of my slave ancestors… to give them a face and hoping then we’ll speak out as human beings,” Gatson said.
Gatson began her artistic journey at 50 years old, trained as a silversmith on the Hopi reservation and later expanded her work to include paintings and sculptural work.
Gatson’s work acts as a connection between her complicated history and the journey to becoming an artist later in life. Gatson’s pieces focus on specific materials like ledger paper to honor her ancestors.
Through intricate metalwork and evocative portraiture, Gatson’s art allows her to reclaim a voice and share her passion now back in San José.
Her statement about deriving her inspiration from her ancestors is a testament to the personal and historical narratives that are present throughout the exhibit and the significance of acknowledging these experiences.
Some of the artists reflected on the challenges of being a Black creative and spoke on the way race has shaped their perceptions.
Chamia LaRae, artist and journalist, spoke on the complexities of identity and how race shapes lived experiences.
“In this world, your Blackness precedes everything else,” LaRae said. “In this country, certainly, our Blackness has even preceded our humanity a lot of times.”
A defining feature of “The Art of the African Diaspora” exhibition is its ability to amplify artists across the Bay Area and showcase artists that share their experiences, according to the Richmond Art Center.
While another artist, Simone Nia Rae uses their art to reflect the realities of being an African American in public schools, drawing from her journey both as a student and educator.
“I just feel like being a black teacher and being, unapologetically black with my students, really influenced my art,” Rae said.
Rae’s abstract pieces captured the struggles and triumphs of Black educators and students, emphasizing the lasting impact of representation in learning spaces.
Her pieces reflect a deep understanding of her surroundings, using bold forms and dynamic compositions to capture emotion and highlight Black labor.
The Art of the African Diaspora exhibit not only uplifts Black voices but reinforces the power of art as a means of storytelling and preservation.
“Perhaps there’s something in me that I am being pushed or it’s my obligation to tell the stories that are being erased,” Gatson said.
