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Syracuse community members gathered for an intimate event in the main hall of the Community Folk Art Center (CFAC) to observe “Chromatic Expressions,” a 23-piece gallery by multidisciplinary illustrator Megan Lewis. The gallery celebrates the many facets and emotions of Black people.

“My work is a reflection of my personality. It allows me to communicate meaningfully,” Lewis said. “I create the world I want to exist in through my paintings, where I can play, work out and express my emotions.”

CFAC hosted an artist talk Wednesday for “Chromatic Expressions,” where Lewis shared her intimate curation process for the gallery pieces. She reflected on her sources of inspiration and desire to have them showcased through her work at CFAC.

Lewis, a Baltimore, Maryland, native, is known for her multidisciplinary illustrations and paintings. She frequently creates art highlighting people of the African diaspora and challenges their stereotypes and perceptions.

Her work primarily aims to stimulate emotions within the viewer, rather than expose the emotions of the painted subject, she said. Lewis has created murals for brands and organizations like the Baltimore Orioles, Target, LIFEWTR and the University of Maryland Medical System.

“‘Chromatic Expressions’ is more than an exhibition,” said Tanisha Jackson, executive director of CFAC and assistant professor of Syracuse University’s Department of African American Studies. “It is a celebration of authenticity, resilience and the beauty of diversity.”

Founded in 1972, CFAC supplies an exhibition space for artists of African descent, according to its website. CFAC curates artistic cultural and educational events that highlight the experiences of Black people, Jackson said. The center also hosts many public programs including film screenings, gallery talks and performing arts courses.

“This art resonates with the kinds of conversations we try to cultivate at the CFAC and in the Department of African American Studies (SU), which is to bring visibility and diversity in our understanding of the African diaspora,” Jackson said.

“Chromatic Expressions” features painted portraits on fabric that showcase Black people in moments of introspection — ranging in color and texture. Some portraits feature glitter, while others contain raised paint. Each painting showcases a subject, while also featuring Lewis’ inner sentiments. Lewis is represented through red lips because she wears the color with pride.

Solange Jain | Staff Photographer

Audience members listen intently to Megan Lewis’ artist talk, alongside her paintings “It Be Like That Sometimes” and “The Right Has Been Earned.”

“We have had viewers from all over who spotted this exhibition from the window including Austria, L.A., North Carolina, Texas and more,” said Alexia Carr, a marketing outreach coordinator at CFAC. “Each painting conveys a different emotion.”

One portrait entitled, “Ready,” shows a Black woman contemplating her future in pensive thought, Jackson said. Her quiet strength and inner resilience radiate through the image, she said.

“Lewis’ artwork brings to the forefront her own emotions through the figures in her portraits,” Jackson said. “This demonstrates that Blackness and Black people are not monolithic, that we are introspective and that we have aspirations, desires and dreams like everyone else.

For six years, Lewis’ paintings only featured Black women. This series of pieces was entitled “Blk Women.” Now, she mainly paints Black men, aiming to work toward creating more positive images of them. “Joy” is one of these images.

The portrait is a prolific iteration of the media campaign “#Black Boy Joy,” which encourages Black men to express their emotions. Lewis gave several remarks about her curation process for the image.

“It’s like a dance between the two. You’re my subject. This is who you are,” Lewis said. “Show me who you are. Then I’m going to be with you and collaborate together.”

Lewis’ art is constantly evolving. She uses her everyday experiences to kickstart her daily painting sessions, she said. In the future, Lewis hopes to be more open with herself and her heart. She wants to live her life in a gray space — rather than black or white, she said.

“I keep myself bottled up and I think my work really helps me release some of that,” Lewis said. “My work is my release. It’s my therapy almost.”

Published on April 17, 2024 at 11:37 pm