The Taste of Soul Art Pavilion added an extra creative flavor to the 19-year-old street festival. Artists showed their take on Black life, from relationships to historical moments.
Mike Norris displayed photos of the murals that he created for his Artfully United foundation. He also had fashion designs and paintings that featured his iconic character Powerful Paul, who can be seen in several of his projects.
“I wanted a character that people resonate with and they recognize as me,” Norris said. “Taste of Soul means culture, Black culture to me, food, good energy, good vibes, dance and music.”
Robert Wilson showcased photos that he took from the times that he visited Haiti. Friends of his turned the photos into paintings.
“I was looking at some of the paintings, there was some that reminded me a lot like home,” said Amashika Lorne, a native of Jamaica. This is the first year she attended Taste of Soul. “These look so vivid, so vibrant.”
Keith Anderson uses recycled paper to make his artwork. He noted how he wants to capture the spirit of what he wants to embody. He explained one of his pieces of art that resembled deep listening.
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“The ear being like a womb. What we hear takes seed in our spirit,” Anderson said. “I’m trying to capture that in some of these images.”
Aviante Turner wanted to show people his process by live painting during the Taste Of Soul. The painting was a young boy playing in the free-flowing water of an open fire hydrant.
“I do predominantly oil painting but mixed medium art as well, contemporary, showcasing Black art and Black beauty,” Turner said. “Trying to show the struggles that I’ve seen growing up in the Black community but also trying to showcase us in a brighter light.”
Diana Shannon-Young displayed her series “The American Journey” that focuses on civil rights and her “Big Nudes” collection of nude, voluptuous women.
“There’s a lot of art lovers here and people that are interested in knowing more,” Shannon-Young said. “That’s really the key to collecting art and to get more people into art, especially people of color.”
Aziz Diagne only showed art work that is about Black love. He also owns the Azizgallery in Leimert Park and teaches art to youth.
“I teach in 42nd Street; every Tuesday we have between 60-120 kids to teach art,” Diagne said.
Los Angeles Sentinel political cartoonist David Brown reunited with a former student of his through the Tales from the Kids program.
“I do workshops with young people. They get to create their own stories and write them and illustrate them,” Brown said. “I’m glad that it was a positive influence on him and his career.”
At the front of the Pavilion stood a larger-than-life painting of the late Frankie Beverly. Near it is a large painting of U.S. vice president Kamala Harris. Both were painted by Mohammed Mubarak.
“Danny Bakewell is a really good friend of mine,” Mubarak said. “It’s through him that he has allowed me to do this.”
