Celebrating the Social Impact and Technique of Jordan Casteel’s...

Celebrating the Social Impact and Technique of Jordan Casteel’s Art

This week, we’ll be sharing the stories of African-American community members in celebration of #BlackHistoryMonth, which runs throughout February in the US.

Vulnerability, openness, humanity — these are the qualities Jordan Casteel (@jordanmcasteel) offers in every brush stroke. Her work invites the viewer to confront the ways her community is represented. “I have a twin brother and an older brother,” says the New York-based artist. “They’re the ones who continually inspire my practice around black men in particular, because I always felt keenly observant of my surroundings and the way they were experiencing the world.”

Her family is rooted in social justice – her grandfather, Whitney Moore Young, Jr., was a central figure in the US civil rights movement – and his legacy has been ever-present in her life and in her work. “It is important to me that within my practice, people recognize me not only for the social impact of this work, but just the sheer degree of strength of material, color play and technique,” says Jordan. “I am not just a painter of people and stories. Within that, I’m also implementing myself as a black woman into a history that has for centuries negated my story, or not seen it as being as impactful or masterful.”

by via Instagram Blog