Illustrator Jaleel Campbell took a contemporary approach to a contemporary role model, Yara Shahidi. He used the medium of digital design to highlight the beauty and strength of black people. Jaleel felt Ms. Shahidi is an admirable young woman on the rise through her voting advocacy, acting, and modeling. He likes the way Ms. Shahidi cares about the black community and doesn’t hesitate to talk about the pain and strife they have to face everyday.
Jaleel wanted to illustrate Ms. Shahidi in the style of seventeenth-century portraitists Vermeer or Caravaggio. He posed her in a regal way so she appears grand while she looks directly at the viewer. She powerfully gazes into the eyes of her onlookers. The decorative elements on the chair reference the fashion icon Ms. Shahidi is to her admiring fans.
New York-based artist Jaleel Campbell is translating the root of black beauty to the language of the digital age with his stunning portraits. Depicting the scope of the modern brown body–ranging from black love to illustrations of stone-faced black men and women–each one made up of geometric layers and fused together in complementary deep shades. Rich, powerful and emotive–his work feels familiar and new all at once. Campbell’s pieces help to create a new expectation for black representation.
Do you, your classroom, or your group want to make your own chair? We have many resources that lead you through the activity!
And don’t forget to come back to submit photos of your chair for a chance to be featured on the website.
The “A Seat at the Table” exhibit was made possible by the generous support of the Fund II Foundation.
The Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate is dedicated to educating the public about the important role of the Senate in our government, encouraging participatory democracy, invigorating civil discourse, and inspiring the next generation of citizens and leaders to engage in the civic life of their communities.
