MLK Artwork by SoA Professor Featured in India Exhibit

When he was in the third grade, Dr. Clarence Talley Sr., professor and director of Prairie View A&M University’s (PVAMU) art program under the School of Architecture, was captivated by a friend’s drawings. He wanted to learn how to do it himself and was soon drawing his own renditions of superheroes Spider-Man and Superman, along with his favorite, Batman. That childhood hobby would soon become a more significant part of his life.

He was recently honored by having two of his artworks exhibited as part of the “Negritude: Exhibition of African American Art” in India’s Durbar Hall Art Center. The exhibit, held between Jan. 12 and Jan. 19, is a celebration of artwork created by African-American artists. It was spearheaded by the National Artist Alliance for Historical Black Colleges and Universities (NAAHBCU), of which Talley is a member.

While the organization has produced several exhibits around the U.S., this is the first one in Asia. The works Talley has on display are from his personal collection.

“Few people have the opportunity to experience art produced by people of color,” he said. “Here at the University, we offer a course in African-American art, [which helps] bring the dynamic history and art of African Americans into view so that students who take this course become more visually aware of their ancestor’s contributions and the continuum. Having my works featured in the exhibit bring my images into the international and the ongoing global discussion about the substantive visual contributions of people of color. In addition, the subject of my work, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., is one of those the world over are familiar with and can relate to.”

Talley is a multi-media artist, working across watercolor, photography and acrylic, as well as branching into beadwork, which he said has grown out of his interest in African art. The two pieces in the Durbar exhibit are mixed media collages that pay homage to Dr. King’s extraordinary legacy of civil rights. That legacy, Talley believes, strikes a universal chord with people all over the globe.

“The Civil Rights Movement in America was about human rights and freedom,” he explained. “The life and work of Dr. King was felt by the world over. The quest for justice and equality for all will forever be a fight worth fighting. Thus, I believe U.S. civil rights still resonate with oppressed people around the world.”

More than that, however, these works are personal to Talley, who was inspired by both Dr. King and Malcolm X. He began creating works that showcased the struggle for civil rights when he was a student at Southern University, and in his early tenure at PVAMU, he organized an exhibition with his students called “Thank You Dr. King.”

Talley is honored to have his work shown, but notes that having the public see work by African-American artists is just as important as the acknowledgment of his art. This first collaboration between NAAHBCU and exhibit space in Asia is one he hopes might create others.

“Being the first at anything simply means paving the way,” he said. “If our exhibit opens the door to other cultural opportunities in India for other organizations, then being the first is a godsend.”

In the meantime, Talley isn’t slowing down. In addition to his teaching, he’ll have pieces on display at the Delta Art Center’s Invitational 2020 Exhibition in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, from Jan. 20 through May 30. He’ll also be exhibiting with the NAAHBCU at the Beach Institute for African American Culture, located in Savannah, Georgia, during Black History Month.

“It should be a fascinating exhibit,” he said. “The theme is ‘Your Story, My Story, Our Story.’”

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By Holly Beretto