FEATURED WORKS OF ART

Title: Dali Clock with Motherland

Artist: THERESA PATTERSON

Date: 2025

Medium: Digital Drawing

This striking work, Dali Clock with Motherland, is a surrealist exploration of time, tradition, and cultural identity. The artist takes inspiration from Salvador Dalí's iconic "melting clocks," reinterpreting this symbol of the fluidity of time through the lens of African culture and reverence for elders.

The composition features two stylized masks as its central figures. The mask on the right, rendered in metallic tones, serves as the primary focal point. Its face appears to be melting, transforming into a surrealist clock that drips downward, echoing Dalí's famous visual motif. This "melting clock" is not merely an homage but a recontextualization, suggesting that time itself—and the relentless passage of it—is shaped and perceived differently through a cultural perspective.

Flanking the masks are two richly textured walking sticks, a recurring motif in the artist's work. These staffs are a powerful symbol of authority, wisdom, and the high regard for elders in many African societies. Their presence grounds the surreal elements in a deep respect for tradition and ancestry.

Further enriching the narrative are other symbolic elements, including the mask on the left, which features a striking lip disc. This is a direct reference to the practices of certain African tribes, particularly the Mursi and Surma people, where women stretch their lips with flat discs. This tradition, often associated with beauty and social status, is integrated here to represent the resilience and unique beauty of "motherland" culture. A pod-like form at the bottom adds to the organic, yet surreal, nature of the piece.

Through this rich tapestry of symbols, the artist creates a bridge between the dream-like qualities of surrealism and the profound weight of cultural heritage, suggesting that the power and traditions of the motherland are timeless, even as the world around them seems to be in a constant state of flux.

Title: Culture 1st

Artist: THERESA PATTERSON

Date: 2025

Medium: Digital Drawing

This compelling work, Culture 1st, is a vibrant dialogue between historical artistic movements and contemporary cultural identity. The artist masterfully layers a modern interpretation of Pablo Picasso's seminal cubist work, Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, with powerful symbols of African heritage.

In the background, the fragmented, geometric forms and angular planes of Picasso’s painting are reimagined with a futuristic, almost robotic, aesthetic. Mechanical parts, circuit board-like patterns, and exposed wires replace the original's stark figures, suggesting a commentary on the march of technology and industrialization. This reinterpretation serves as a deconstructed backdrop, honoring a cornerstone of 20th-century art while simultaneously pushing its visual language into a new era.

The foreground is dominated by a richly colored and intricately detailed African mask, a deliberate and powerful counterpoint to the background. The mask, with its stylized features, symbolic patterns, and expressive eyes, stands as the central focus. It is flanked by two crossed staffs or walking sticks, which often symbolize wisdom, authority, and guidance. This central figure is a bold assertion of cultural primacy, as the title suggests. It represents the artist's assertion that one's foundational cultural identity—in this case, African culture—remains the essential and enduring core, even amidst the complexities of a modern, technologically-driven world. The fusion of these two distinct visual languages creates a dynamic tension, inviting viewers to reflect on the relationship between global art history and personal heritage.

Title: Ethnic Project

Artist: THERESA PATTERSON

Date: 2025

Medium: Digital Drawing

Ethnic Project is a powerful and deeply personal work that speaks to themes of community, progress, and cultural empowerment. Inspired by the transformative potential of the new Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, the artist creates a commanding figure that embodies the spirit of change and unity.

The central figure is a stylized portrait with a rich and complex visual language. The face, adorned with intricate geometric patterns, evokes a sense of both ancient tribal art and modern design. The contrasting eyes—one green, one red—suggest a duality, perhaps representing the past and future, or the different perspectives and experiences within a community.

The figure holds two prominently featured walking sticks, which the artist identifies as "tools." These are not merely objects but are imbued with symbolic meaning. They represent a comprehensive set of cognitive, affective, emotional, and loving "tools" essential for bringing African Americans from Chicago and around the world together. The staffs, with their distinct patterns, become conduits for communication, empathy, and shared purpose.

The background, a dynamic mix of textures and abstract forms, provides a vibrant context for the figure, suggesting a world in motion and a community on the cusp of a significant shift. The title, Ethnic Project, reclaims the term "project" not as a simple task, but as a grand, intentional, and unifying endeavor. Through this compelling portrait, the artist offers a vision of hope and opportunity, positioning the Obama Presidential Center not just as a library, but as a catalyst for a new era of connection, progress, and collective strength for the Black community in Chicago and beyond.