Ajuan Mance is an Oakland based artist and illustrator that revels in the Bay Area’s incredible diversity. They are one of many artists in the Art of the African Diaspora 2022 show at the Richmond Art Center.
Ajuan’s colorful work celebrates the Black community, history, and culture, in the Bay Area and beyond while also highlighting “the unseen, the unacknowledged, and the overlooked.” Ajuan elaborates on their practice, “In the same way that scientists use experiments to uncover new truths and understandings, so too do I use art to learn new things about mine and others' experience as Black people.”
Ajuan begins their portraits by drawing with ink on paper, placing the nose, lips, and eyes first and then completes the rest of the face from there. Once they finish their drawn portrait, they scan the work and digitally fill in with color. “I also add my own hand-drawn patterns, photographs, pages of historic Black literature, maps, and other elements of collage.” They call this process ink and digital collage.
The closing reception for Art of the African Diaspora 2022 at the Richmond Art Center is this Saturday, March 19 from 12-2pm. Experience the expansive show displaying over 100 local artists! Ajuan also has work in SF City Hall for a show called "Care in the Time of COVID 19."
Feature Published: March 18, 2022
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