The Artists Inspiring Me
Hello Friends!
I’m sorry for the gap in time between my last past and this one. To be honest, I’ve struggled with what to write about because I know that we’re all doing our best to adjust, center ourselves, and stay alive. It’s felt unnecessary to talk about my life or work when the world is shifting and being reborn. A lot of us are making changes and having really good but hard conversations with and within our communities. I can only hope we are all going to work together and hold each other accountable and raise each other into a new era of love, empathy, and compassion.
I see the silver linings but I don’t want to diminish the stress that pervades our lives. Change can be great and unsettling at the same time.
That’s why I thought I might try to do an entry a little differently this time. I do have new work on the site if you’re interested that I’d love for you to check out. In the meantime, I want to share the art and artists who have brought joy to my life in these trying times.
Below is a list of people, places, and things that I have enjoyed, learned from, and supported these last few months.
1. My Current Favorite Artists & Painters
Jennifer Packer
Jennifer is an amazing artist based out of New York. You can check out some of her featured work including paintings and drawings at the Serpentine Gallery site available through the link here:
Jorge Galindo
Jorge Galindo is a magnificent artist from Madrid, Spain who has created expressionistic works of art for more than 30 years. After a year long collaboration with filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar, Jorge is sharing his latest series of flower paintings (Flores de periferia) along with other work in an exhibition hosted by The Hall Art Foundation. Take a look at their beautiful collaboration here:
“Flower Paintings” and Works Made in Collaboration with Pedro Almodóvar
Abdu Ali
Abdu Ali is a wonderful human being who combines passion and expression with social advocacy to provide visibility for Black artists in the Baltimore scene. Check out Ali’s latest project here:
Abdu Ali from Baltimore creating space for radical black artists.
You can also take a look at Ali’s Instagram here:
Dona Adrian Couture
Dona Adrian is a talented artist who has been working hard on stylish masks for us to express ourselves during this wild pandemic. Check out her Instagram to see more of her work, you may even recognize a familiar face!:
2. TV & Movies
Dark City
My favorite movie right now is Dark City by TT The Artist. It’s an awesome documentary about the Baltimore music and dance culture. Follow it on their Instagram page below:
The Kindness Diaries
Fair warning, this show is a real tear-jerker! It follows the adventures of Leon Logothetis as he travels the world relying on the kindness of strangers for food and shelter. You can watch it on Netflix and read more about the show here:
The Story of God
This is a magnificent series. I binged all three seasons and hope they continue to make more. It’s available through the National Geographic Channel and I can’t recommend it highly enough. You can learn more about it below:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Story_of_God_with_Morgan_Freeman
Aussie Gold Hunters
This one is my guilty pleasure. It’s a fun and adventurous show about modern day gold hunters in Western Australia. It’s on Discovery Channel and if you’re looking for easy entertainment, look no further:
3. Best Live Music
Jill Scott vs Erykah Badu
These woman are nothing short of astounding. Watching them go head to head in a musical beat battle is an event. Check them out at the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jodpe_RUq9Q&list=RDJodpe_RUq9Q&start_radio=1&t=18
Bounty Killer and Beenie Man
Another amazing battle. These two artists bring their best to a fun showdown that you can check out below:
4. A Cause Close To My Heart!
Sober Black Girls Club
The final thing I wanted to share with you is a beautiful organization dedicated to providing healing and support to Black women looking to live their best sober lives. Read more about them and see the good work they do at the link below:
My heart is with you all and I hope that you will enjoy some of these findings that have brought joy to my life in these trying times. Please feel free to share your discoveries with me!
ONE LOVE,
- Amanda J.