Artist Statement
Liberian-American artist Papay Solomon lives between two worlds: his adopted home in America and that of his African heritage. His work boldly attempts to reconcile the two with an artistic vision enhanced by his formal education in the West and at the same time wildly alive with the indelible imprint of his home country.
Solomon paints hyperrealist figures, with traces of non finito and color field qualities, to amplify stories and experiences of the African diaspora. With this approach to the figurative tradition Solomon attentively renders his sitters with dignity, complexity, and beauty. Faces of African immigrants are meticulously imbued with reverence that echoes the grandeur of Renaissance and Baroque portraiture. In doing so, Solomon invigorates the structures and techniques of Western art with an African soul.