Vibrant Resilience

Asia’s paintings are intimate reflections of her life, exploring love, family, childhood, and the complexities of bittersweet relationships. These small windows into her personal space create a dynamic interplay between voyeurism and exhibitionism, inviting viewers to connect with the nostalgia and relatability of her experiences. Through this, they may gain new perspectives, while Asia delves deeper into self-discovery. Art has been a source of healing, growth, and reflection for her as a Black woman. I draw inspiration from nature, identity, and my journey from childhood to womanhood. The figures in her work, often friends or family, imbue her art with sentimentality and care, enriching the narrative. Watercolor painting is a meditative practicer, involving repetitive mark-making and glazing. She intuitively know when to let the water take over and when to exert control. Through this process, Asia creates works that resonate with both personal and universal themes, offering a space for viewers to reflect and connect.

John Lister, III was born in Shreveport, LA in 1985 on July 8th. Lister spent a majority of his life between Maryland and Louisiana. He claims his first stint at creating, was at a very young age with his food, i.e. oatmeal. The child would take his toddler hands and draw abstractly in the overturned bowl remnants of oatmeal. Upon seeing this, his educator of a grandmother Ella D. Douglas, whom he affectionately named “Grants.” Grants then thought it be wise to introduce crayons and coloring books to the young child. By time he was 4 years old, he grasped and understood the female figure and male figure via Jet magazines comic books, and from watching sports, which he often would recreate as doodles. While playing and having a short football career due to surgery to lengthen his limb, Lister discovered “Grey’s Anatomy.” The book which was given to him to read and study to keep from bothering the nurses on duty at the hospital while recovering. This can be seen in his works of art dealing with his femur and gives an explanation for the usage medical themes. It wasn’t until college however at Morgan State University where he decided to become serious about creating, learning and producing art work.

Having been recognized as a resilient and vibrant artist, Errol is inspired by the warmth of nature that surrounds him. As a creator of nature on canvas, panel, or whatever the surface is, it takes discipline, will power, courage and determination to represent nature in its true form, pure! Errol is inspired by some of the greatest painters who have ever lived, and favors impressionism, Modern Art and Cubism. Inherently, he has been a painter from creation, and as he grew older he realized, when you are chosen for a specific purpose in life you holds the key to your destiny.

Errol’s process is a very simple one, which he believes leads to a great end result. After careful observation of the motif, weather for time of day, weather or season, and most of all the narrative within, he then sketches directly with paint onto the canvas, panel, board or wall depending on the surface. As he proceeds, Errol paints what he sees within the light key which transforms the object to life.

Errol is currently exploring a variety of methods seeking to invent the hidden secrets of modern art and cubism.

James Stephen Terrell is a native Washingtonian who was reared in Ward 7. His parents are Rev. Dr. James E. Terrell, Pastor of historic Second Baptist Church of Washington D.C. and Retired Superior Court Associate Judge Mary A. Terrell of the Superior Court of Washington D.C. He received his high school diploma from Gonzaga College High School in Washington D.C. He received the Bachelor of Fine Art in 1999 from Howard University, Master of Fine Arts in 2002 from Parsons School of Design in New York City and the Master of Divinity Degree from the Union Theological Seminary in New York City with a concentration on Theology and the Fine Arts in 2006. While attending Union Theological Seminary, he pursued Fine Arts painting elective courses at Columbia University.  Terrell has exhibited his work all over the country and had multiple solo shows including at museums.