Black Religious Art
Black religious art is a tricky subject. Our purpose here is certainly not to promote any specific religious beliefs, but rather to show the importance of religious and spiritual beliefs in the African American community. The imagery connected to that experience is a crucial part of our subject matter. We are aware that a majority of African Americans consider themselves Christians, yet there are sizeable numbers among all other religions represented within our community, once again showing the diversity within the Black community. A special part of this diversity is the level of mutual respect and peaceful coexistence among African American Muslims, Jews, Hebrews, Rastafarian's, Jehovah Witnesses, Spiritualists, Christians and others. As the lyrics of a recent Stevie Wonder song says.."It's not about the religion, it's about the relationships". So our community presents a model for worldwide religious peace. Can't we all just get along? As one might guess, an artist named 'Saint' paints themes that are essentially Christian inspired. Yet the artist's love of history, comparative religions, and metaphysics allows many of his works to transcend the purely religious and somehow reach a universal spiritual plane. The painting above, 'Welcome Home', is a good example. This painting is one of the artist's most personal paintings, as he captures the image that came to him during his oldest brother Bill's funeral which was less than two weeks after his father, Ulysses' funeral. A little analysis of this painting shows us that the scene is set in a Black Christian church. The scenes outside the two windows hint that two funerals are represented here. One in the rural South and one in a Northern city. As the soul of the son is greeted in Heaven by the father. Two Black angels, representing the artist's Aunt Hattie and Uncle Sam look on. Other long gone family members look on in the distance. The rising and setting suns symbolize birth and death and the constant cycle of reincarnation. The many pyramids pay homage to the ancient Kemetic religious beliefs that are the very foundation of modern Christianity. See The Kemetic tradition for more information. Even the heart shape of Heaven has meaning, since the real Kingdom of Heaven is within us. So, a very personal experience can have universal significance. This painting offers comfort during periods that we must all endure in our lifetimes. Specific paintings under the subject of Black Religious Art include: Black Angels, Black Jesus Black Saints, Spirituality Ancient Wisdom and Other Religious Subjects. . Return Home from Black Religious Art Contact Us
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