Join us for an interview with vibrant Studio Gallery artist Camilla King, where she discusses the joy of Blackness, and how she celebrates it every day through her portraiture.
Cotton Candy Clouds, Oil on Canvas Paper.
Camilla King consistently brings her portraits to life through splashes of bold color, as well as lovingly rendered Black and brown skin. Her passion for Black culture and identity is clear and inherent in the work that she creates, from her subject matter, to her color palette choices, to the mediums that she uses.
Before we get into the interview, let’s talk about Blackness. Colorism is a worldwide issue that affects BIPOC and is rooted in racism. Colorism is defined in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as “prejudice or discrimination especially within a racial or ethnic group favoring people with lighter skin over those with darker skin”. Dark skin has long been viewed through a negative racist lens, and Camilla King rejects this view by openly and unapologetically embracing all that Blackness encapsulates. She addresses the open wound of discrimination on Black culture, but then goes on to emphasize the consistent perseverance of Black joy and community.
Through a color theory lens, black is often viewed as a somber and negative color. It is used to imply negative space (essentially emptiness) and bad omens. However, to create black, one must mix all of the primary colors together! Isn’t it interesting how bright colors such as red, blue, and yellow could create a shade as unique as black? Just as this color has been historically seen as dull, yet hides a multitude of vivid hues, Camilla King uses her paintbrushes to emphasize the beauty and rich culture of Blackness despite a long history of discrimination. Every piece of artwork she creates allows her to rewrite the narrative a little more and share her joy with the world. Black is beautiful, and perhaps the most colorful of all!
The Interview
Q: How do you express Black joy through your artwork?
A: I express Black joy through the colors of not only the subject, but also the background. Sometimes the facial expressions in the subjects depict joy themselves.
Q: What other Black portraiture artists inspire you? Include a specific painting by another artist if you would like to.
A: Oh my God, I can go on and on about this one. I have a plethora of different artists that inspire me constantly. To name just a few off the top of my head, I would definitely say all of my professors from Howard University, as well as Bisa Butler, Patrick Quarm, Kehinde Wiley, Amy Sherald, Kerry James Marshall, Briyona James, Toyin Ojih Odutola, and a printmaker I just found on instagram a few days ago. Her work just blew me out the water. Her name is LaToya Hobbs. Each artist has a painting and/or collection that sticks with me, but the one that I would say that I would think about the most is Kehinde Wiley’s collection entitled, “Jamaica”. This one sticks with me because I resonate with it on a personal level. Being a first-generation American to Jamaican parents, I see the lifestyle of being Jamaican in each of his paintings in this collection. From their poses, the background, even the clothing they’re wearing. The way Kehinde portrays these figures, it’s almost as if they were made from the paints he used and THEN formed into human beings rather than it being the other way around. I plan on creating my own collection someday using this collection as inspiration.
Q: Please tell me your thoughts on colorism, and how this subject matter affects the color palette you use when creating artwork. I am especially interested in how you paint Black and brown skin tones.
A: I believe that no matter what skin shade we are, we are still one people. Together we all identify as one race, and colorism should not be a part of our story. I use the same vibrant, saturated colors in all of my subjects, no matter the skin tone, to show the viewer that we are one; that the shade of our skin should not be a determinate of our character.
Q: Tell me about your art-making process. What is your favorite medium to use, and why? Does this medium relate to your subject matter in any way?
A: I love to dibble and dabble in many different mediums. But the mediums that I tend to gravitate towards the most are painting and printmaking. Painting is just a beautiful process in and of itself, and it allows to me to make changes as my mood changes. You never know what you’re going to end up with in the finished piece. The carving in printmaking is relaxing to me, and the process of printing something after you’ve spent hours of carving to see what it finally looks like is exhilarating.
Q: What advice would you give to young Black artists who are finding their way in the art world?
A: I would say keep going. There are definitely going to be hiccups and road blocks, but keep going. Keep painting what it’s like to be a black person and the challenges we face everyday. Never conform to what society is making you paint because they prefer westernized art. Black is and always will be beautiful.
Featured Piece
“In the skin only I can love”, 12x16, Oil painting on quilt w/ hand embroidery, 2021
This painting is important to me because it marks a time where I finally feel like I found my own style (or close to it). Bisa Butler inspires me tremendously and I wanted to see how I would do my own spin on quilt painting.
You can read more about Camilla’s work and view her Etsy below.
By staff contributor Halley Stubis.