Celebrating a decade of exhibiting the best African-American, African and Caribbean contemporary art, the Black Fine Art Show returned to the Puck Building in Soho last weekend, just in time to usher in Black History Month.

 

 

The biggest and most impressive booth in the show belonged to Colours Fine Arts, Inc, a New York private gallery that used to be called Bomani Gallery when it was located in San Francisco. On display were the superlative large scale crocheted works of the Seattle native, Xenobia Bailey, and intriguing mixed media paintings by Giselle John, Elon Brasil and the Benin born and Belgium based artist, Pelagie Gbadguidi.

 

 

However, it was the unconventional work of a young and extremely talented African contemporary artist named Nya′ which captivated a throng of collectors and art lovers that attended the three-day esteemed calendar event.

 

 

Nya’s work is comprised of burnt twigs that resemble indigenous African trees such as the Mopane or Mopani found in Angola, the brittle Ochna Pulchra from Botswana and dried leaves of the Tamarindus indica from tropical Africa, e.g. Sudan and Tanzania. The ashy twigs are artfully combined with other unusual materials that include shark teeth, cow dung, animal blood and elephant urine to create pulsating compositions that are mature, riveting and rich in imagery.

 

 

The artist’s inspiring ability to portray his subject matter with an aesthetic consciousness reminiscent of the minimalist and color field American painter Ellsworth Kelly; the profound depth of the collagist, Romare Bearden and the intense passion of the abstract expressionist, Jackson Pollock makes his pieces a marvel to behold.

 

 

Each painting is accompanied by a moving verse personally written by the extensively read artist who has held private exhibitions for selected collectors in New York, San Francisco, South Africa and his native homeland, Zimbabwe.

 

 

Prior to the show’s opening to the public, his work that was available for purchase, “Ushe Madzoro” was acquired for the Kephra Burns and Susan L. Taylor Private Art collection.

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Seed Gallery Press