TO BE YOUNG, GIFTED, AND BLACK
The hoodie has long been associated with a racist stereotype of criminality in Black communities and a device for racial profiling.
In To Be Young, Gifted, and Black, Kent utilizes silhouettes of himself wearing a hoodie as the centerpiece for a series of paintings and drawings. The pose and garments that dress his silhouette change from painting to painting, but in each piece, he dons a hoodie. The collection is an homage to the powerful symbol of the garment, a conduit for articulating a larger message: That Black individuals are at once vulnerable and a perceived threat in today’s racialized world. This collection challenges the audience to face their preconceptions and reevaluate the stories shaping their worldview.
To Be in Purple Rain, 2022, paper, acrylic, oil bar on canvas 182.88 x 162.56 cm | 72 x 64 in
Untitled, 2023 acrylic and oil bar on canvas 182.88 x 137.16 cm | 72 x 54 in
Black Gold, 2023 glitter, acrylic, oil bar on canvas 182.88 x 137.16 cm | 72 x 54 in Private Collection
Untitled, 2022 acrylic on canvas 182.88 x 137.16 cm | 72 x 54 in Permanent Collection of Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Corner of Sequoia and Wabash, 2023 acrylic, copperleaf on archival birch wood panel 101.6 x 76.2 cm | 40 x 30 in Private Collection
Lookout for the Haters, 2023 acrylic, copperleaf on archival birch wood panel 101.6 x 76.2 cm | 40 x 30 in Private Collection
Don’t Hate the Drip, 2023 acrylic, copperleaf on archival birch wood panel 101.6 x 76.2 cm | 40 x 30 in Private Collection
Sweating The Drip, 2023 acrylic, copperleaf on archival birch wood panel 101.6 x 76.2 cm | 40 x 30 in
Silhouette of an Artist, 2023 acrylic, copperleaf on archival birch wood panel 101.6 x 76.2 cm | 40 x 30 in
On the Way to Walbrook Highschool, 2023 acrylic, copperleaf on archival birch wood panel 101.6 x 76.2 cm | 40 x 30 in Private Collection
Expressionism Copied, 2024 acrylic and copper leaf on archival birchwood panel 40.64 x 30.48 cm | 16 x 12 in
You Better Come Ready, 2023 acrylic, copperleaf on archival birch wood panel 101.6 x 76.2 cm | 40 x 30 in
Drippin with Details, 2024, acrylic, copperleaf on archival birch wood panel 40.64. x 30.48 cm | 16 x 12 in
The Corner of Gwynn Oak and Liberty Heights, 2023 acrylic, copperleaf on archival birch wood panel 101.6 x 76.2 cm | 40 x 30 in Private Collection
The Creators of the Culture Look Like Me, 2024 acrylic and copper leaf on archival birchwood panel 40.64 x 30.48 cm | 16 x 12 in