Unguarded and Triumphant in Crafted Contentment
For Black History Month 2023, I wanted to depict the beauty of black men. They are often portrayed as rough and hard, or otherwise made to feel they need to put up a tough exterior. I thought the idea of seeing this "tough and scary" black man with something as delicate and soft as flowers, was beautiful, and matched the inner beauty of my people. I originally planned on capturing different expressions. The man in my original 2nd drawing was crying. This month is often a reminder of a traumatic history and less often celebration of our accomplishments, growth, and love as a people. Because of that, I decided to pivot in this new direction of showing expressions of peace and content. I wanted my art contribution to portray something that is rarely portrayed or difficult to accomplish, and that is a black man at peace. 💜
