BEING BLACK BY

JEFFREY KENT

  • "In 1988 I was not an artist. I was arrested for possession and conspiracy to sell cocaine. I spent the night alone in a freezing cold jail cell, using my sport jacket alternately as a pillow and blanket. I thought it was the worst thing that could happen to me; I thought my life was over. But I survived that night, and in the morning I knew two things: I would never spend another night behind bars, and I would not just survive, but I would make my life significant. I had time after the arrest, a lot of time, alone, in an empty apartment to think about ‘what next.’ And it was the emptiness of the walls that answered me, clear as day - I had the ability to fill these walls with significance." — Jeffrey Kent

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About Jeffrey Kent

 

Jeffrey Kent is a multidisciplinary artist whose artwork explores the intimate experience of the individual interacting with the idiosyncrasies of their world—specifically the experience of the Black American citizen. A consistent thread running through his artwork is the tension between the heavy internalized racial oppression countered by the dream of freedom and the intrinsic worth of the individual. Kent has a Master of Fine Arts from Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), where he currently serves as an adjunct professor. He is also the Chief Curator for the Peale Museum Baltimore and Director of Promotions and Outreach for BmoreArt. His work can be found in the National Academy of Sciences, FTI Consulting Inc., Hilton Hotels and Resorts, the Reginald F. Lewis Museum, and the Robert W. Deutsch Foundation. For more information about Kent and his work, visit https://www.jeffreykent.com/.

Untitled (Black on Black Power), 2021, Acrylic, glitter, suede, on canvas 157.48 x 213.36 cm/62 x 84 in

Untitled (Black on Black Power), 2021, Acrylic, glitter, suede, on canvas 157.48 x 213.36 cm/62 x 84 in

Untitled (Black Dollar), 2021, Shredded US currency, glitter, acrylic, on canvas 157.48 x 213.36 cm /62 x 84 in

Untitled (Black Dollar), 2021, Shredded US currency, glitter, acrylic, on canvas 157.48 x 213.36 cm /62 x 84 in

They Know Not Who They’re Fighting For, 2021 Acrylic, ink transfer, gac, on canvas 81.28 x 60.96 x 10.16 cm / 34 x 24 x 4 in

They Know Not Who They’re Fighting For, 2021 Acrylic, ink transfer, gac, on canvas 81.28 x 60.96 x 10.16 cm / 34 x 24 x 4 in

Whipped, 2021 Acrylic, glitter, belt, switch, ruler, whip, Hot Wheel car and track on canvas 86.36 x 60.96 x 17.78 cm / 34 x 24 x 7in

Whipped, 2021 Acrylic, glitter, belt, switch, ruler, whip, Hot Wheel car and track on canvas 86.36 x 60.96 x 17.78 cm / 34 x 24 x 7in

Rigged Race, 2021 AFX Slot Car HO scale race set, acrylic 59.8 x 80.1 in/ 152 x 203.5 cm

Rigged Race, 2021 AFX Slot Car HO scale race set, acrylic 59.8 x 80.1 in/ 152 x 203.5 cm

Untitled, 2021 Acrylic, diamond dust, Columbian glitter, baking soda, gel medium, cocaine 38 x 48 inches ( 96.52 x 121.92 cm)

Untitled, 2021 Acrylic, diamond dust, Columbian glitter, baking soda, gel medium, cocaine 38 x 48 inches ( 96.52 x 121.92 cm)

Hood Hoop A/P, 2021 Resin cast sculpture 83.82 x 60.9 6 x 33.02cm / 33 x 24 x 13in

Hood Hoop A/P, 2021 Resin cast sculpture 83.82 x 60.9 6 x 33.02cm / 33 x 24 x 13in

Being Black (⅓), 2021 Neon light 120 x 12 in/ 304.8 x 30.48 cm

Being Black (⅓), 2021 Neon light 120 x 12 in/ 304.8 x 30.48 cm

Untitled, 2021 Acrylic, diamond dust, Columbian glitter, baking soda, gel medium, cocaine 50 x 72 inches (127 x 182.88 cm)

Untitled, 2021 Acrylic, diamond dust, Columbian glitter, baking soda, gel medium, cocaine 50 x 72 inches (127 x 182.88 cm)

BLACK TOP, 2019 Acrylic, oil bar on canvas 213.36 x 182.88 cm/ 84 x 72 inches

BLACK TOP, 2019 Acrylic, oil bar on canvas 213.36 x 182.88 cm/ 84 x 72 inches

COLORED SKULLY, 2020 Acrylic, oil bar on canvas 213.36 x 182.88 cm/ 84 x 72 in

COLORED SKULLY, 2020 Acrylic, oil bar on canvas 213.36 x 182.88 cm/ 84 x 72 in