Honoring Black History with artist MUSAH SWALLAH : The Importance of Modern Black Artists in the Canon of Collective History

The eyes of his subjects are powerful and captivating, carrying intense emotion without foregoing inclusion of character and story. The figures in Swallah’s portraits present commentary on the diversity of African and American cultures through color, joy, and most notably, a distinct pride in being Black. 

Swallah’s portraits mirror the artist’s own embracing of natural hair as part of identity. Across centuries, especially in Black communities, the expression of beauty and style has long been communicated through hairstyles. However, for the Black American identity, there exists a caveat in the form of social oppression, abuse, and racial discrimintaion in correlation with hair. Swallah works to set the foundation for the architecture of change, reformation, and healing. 

Artists sit at the precipice of culture and the purveyors of change. Musah Swallah's painting can be seen as a societal medicine of sorts, a space of his own creation made to share with his audience as they journey through self-expression. Where modern words fail, Swallah's playful color palette and intentional movement challenge what history has long presented as far as contemporary African identity is concerned. This type of work lends itself to a better future, one of informed, expressive identity and the euphoria of self-acceptance, a future where humans have become more humane.