Artist Talk | Spectrum: On Color & Contemporary Art with Tawny Chatmon and Delita Martin

Join us for an artist talk in celebration of MoAD's current exhibition Spectrum: On Color & Contemporary Art. Artists Tawny Chatmon and Delita Martin will be in conversation with MoAD's Curatorial Fellow Luke Williams to discuss how artists in this group exhibition use color to guide our perception. Spectrum brings together a multigenerational and international group of seventeen contemporary Black artists who illuminate the importance of color to both the form and content of their work.
Tawny Chatmon is a photography-based artist residing in Maryland who takes a multi-layered approach in her process. She does not restrict herself to following any set of rules and does not subscribe exclusively to traditional photography practices. Her photographs are often digitally intensified by exaggerating the hairstyles of her subjects (who are often her children and other family members), while also hand painting and embellishing her portraits with acrylic paint, 24-karat gold leaf, in addition to materials such as paper, semi-precious stones, glass, and other mixed media.
‍Delita Martin is a contemporary artist living and working in Huffman, Texas. Martin’s work explores the beauty and complexity of spiritual identities of African American Women. Through her mixed-media printmaking practice, which includes the layering of various printmaking processes, drawing, painting, collaging, and hand-stitching she celebrates their strength and resilience in a world that often overlooks or devalues them. Through her use of pattern, texture, and color, she creates immersive veilscapes (spirit worlds) that are deeply personal yet accessible to viewers. Her distinctive style combines elements of realism, abstractions, and symbolism, creating bold and beautiful portraits of Black women as they transition between the spirit world and the waking world. Martin’s work has been featured in numerous exhibitions and publications both national and international, including the 2022 Venice Biennale. She continues to explore the complex layers of identity and experiences, celebration the powerful legacy of African American Women.