State of the ARTS: Dawn Okoro

Punk Noir

I had almost given up on art when I was offered a solo show at the Amon Carter Museum. It was the largest show I had ever had and a turning point in my life.”

Dawn Okoro is a Nigerian-American artist living in Austin. Enthralled by the world of fashion as a child growing up in Lubbock, Texas, her artistic roots can be traced back to her early paintings of fashion models. Unable to see people who looked like her in magazines, she began painting her own figures based on photographs she had as reference.

Childhood investigation and self-reflection have been integral to her evolution as an artist, thoughtfully developed into a process she calls “self-reflexivity” in which she critically examines the interior and exterior experiences that shape her everyday life.

Her body of work is expansive and diverse, but perhaps her most striking series is a series titled “Punk Noir,” a traveling solo exhibition of vibrant, large format paintings of Black people who embody the punk spirit.
She explains, “Punk is this movement that’s meant to be accepting of all kinds of people. So, I wanted to paint people who had a ‘punk spirit,’ [people] who were self-expressive without worrying about what others would think.”

Rich hues of purple, orange, green, blue, and yellow acrylics set off an array of life-sized, expressive portraits of subjects who had posed for photographs. Metal leaf compositional accents both complement and erase the figures, contributing to their evocative nature. Taken individually, but especially as a collection, the work almost seems to vibrate with bold colors and kinetic forms.

Since the killing of George Floyd earlier this year sparked renewed calls for racial justice both nationwide and globally, Dawn has seen increased interest in her work.

“I think people feel that some of what is going on in the world can be reflected in my work, even though my work was made before this year’s protests.”

“Rage,” from her 2016 series “Black and Yellow,” features the silhouette of a Black woman from the neck up. Her one visible eye radiates with acrimony under a furrowed brow, her short, tousled hair falling from her tilted head. Her mouth is stretched open, bellowing to the sky.
On the topic of the increased attention to her work during a time of unrest, Dawn is thoughtful.

“I’m used to thinking of my art as a reaction to what I’m feeling at one time. But if my art, in and of itself, can inspire someone, I’m okay with that.”

Did you know?
In addition to having her work exhibited and published worldwide, Dawn also holds a law degree from Texas Southern University.

Contact:
okorostudio.com
@dawnokoro