Holding On: Reaching Forward

As a baby I was baptized in the chapel at Xavier University of Louisiana. Since then a new chapel has been built and the old one has be transformed into a gallery. Over the past few years, especially since the beginning of the Pandemic, id been working on several bodies of work and decided that I wanted to share some of that work publicly before the end of 2022.  When speaking with the good folks at Xavier they seemed to like the idea of my showing there and helped select the works to exhibit. Below are a few pieces from the exhibit.Crowned (series) Crowned celebrates the triumphs and burdens of mothers through the loads they carry upon their heads. The ongoing series also honors women in the artist’s life who have given life (birth). Generational Wealth  Wealth, unlike income, is built over generations by the accumulation and transfer of  capital. Historically, people of color have experienced systemic racism and discriminatory  practices which inhibited their ability to build generational wealth. As a result, the racial  wealth gap has continued to expand into a chasm of epic proportions. While capitalist  perspevcctives may measure wealth in such limited terms, communities within the African  diaspora have passed on a great deal for generations.  Old Whips / New Chains Some things change and others remain the same. Some find comfort in material progress while being trapped within systems that reject true progress.  Kente Cola While this piece is a conversation about the commercialization of black culture in a capitalist world. The image used in creating this painting was originally taken while playing with my daughter and tying pieces of fabric around her head. And she then began to wrap fabric around me as well.  Dear Portrait of Ayo Scott’s maternal grandmother, adorned with Dan mask and Halo.  There are also portraits of my father, John T. Scott and several of my artistic influences and mentors.