William Rhodes is a mixed media & assemblage artist who moved to the San Francisco Bay Area more than 14 years ago. He started educating youth in after-school programs in the Fillmore and Bayview communities and now leads intergenerational art projects connecting artists of all ages.
Although William works with many media, his signature touch is the utilization of neon lights. “My art gets its inspiration from African and Southern American Folk traditions. An example of this is in my sculptures, which draw upon indigenous African forms and traditional wooden joinery, juxtaposed with contemporary neon lighting.” William revels in his inspirational travels all over the globe to shed light on non-Western ideals so embedded into American culture. “Explorations into the contrast between these traditional cultures and our modern one have also added depth to the narrative quality of my work.” He is also notable for his quilt work, which incorporates a multitude of portraits of members from his community.
William has work exhibited in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture and Southeast Community Health Center in San Francisco.
Feature Published: August 19, 2022
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