The walls of the Arthello Beck Gallery at the South Dallas Cultural Center are a wash in black and white around every corner. The exhibition is aptly titled ‘Life in Black Ink’ by artist Lakeem Wilson.
“They’re all snapshots of nostalgia and, like, deep dives into culture,” artist Lakeem Wilson said. “A lot of times it’s bigger than just Black History. It’s about cultural memory, being able to reflect on certain parts of memories that defines who we are as a culture, that shows what it’s like to be in our shoes.”
Wilson, who is also an assistant curator at the African American Museum, curated his own exhibition. The themes include childhood joy and innocence, Black love, mentorship, and community spaces.
The artwork is stripped down, both in materials and time. Wilson limited himself to short timeframes to create, using only black ink and white watercolor paper.
“A lot of times our narrative revolves around the issues that we’re facing, or revolves around protest advocating, and that is a part of our history, but it overpowers the day-to-day sometimes,” Wilson said. “It’s almost a sense of vision boarding in a sense. A way to manifest and reflect.”
Wilson wanted the series to be accessible, in them and price point. Amid the sea of black and white, there are many red dots noting the piece has sold.
“People purchasing and supporting the arts is heartwarming for me,” Wilson said. “It’s just a great honor to be able to create stories and highlight things that reflects the neighborhood that I grew up in.”
‘Life in Black Ink’ is on exhibition through next week. There is an artist reception Friday, February 6th from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the South Dallas Cultural Center.
