Nard Lee

From the Artist... My artwork contains duality: black and white; loss and hope; protest and conformity. I use deep, saturated tones -- inviting but adversarial, contributing to the tension within the painting. The combination of acrylic, chalk and oil pastel within the artwork can be considered confrontational in their intensity.

When painting, I’m exported to a place filled with fear, unrest, discrimination and pain. But I always leave a space for beauty and light at the end of the tunnel. My paintings are inspired by the souls of the past who refuse to be forgotten.

Born and raised in Washington, DC, my upbringing in the Southeast area of the city has been a great influence on my work. My paintings explore unsolved questions regarding racial inequity, class, politics and religion. However, my dominant lens will always be that of the often overlooked and underestimated kid keenly aware of how the outside world views people who look like him.

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