For this week’s assignment for Redrawing Black History with Tamisha Anthony and Lilla Rogers, we illustrated a portrait of the great artist Elizabeth Catlett.
Elizabeth was a friend of my late friend and mentor, Emma Amos, and I found myself a bit emotional when reading about Elizabeth, as it was clear why she and Emma would have admired each other. Elizabeth seemed to balance immense determination and tenacity with incredible warmth and caring. She would invite Emma and other artists to her home in Cuernavaca, Mexico. She really seemed to choose how she wanted to live.
I included Elizabeth's quote: “Art is only important to the extent that it aids in the liberation of our people” because I feel it says a lot about her as a person and an artist.
