I Wish I Was A Real Person is a play on the Jean-Michel Basquiat quote, “I’m Not a Real Person. I’m a Legend”. When I learned of the immense success and influence he had during his short life, I was baffled as to why he wasn’t more known in mainstream circles. He is both a legend AND a real person in art history yet most people outside of creative circles know the names Picasso, Warhol or Van Gogh, but if asked to name a successful Black artist who wasn’t an actor or musician they would be at a loss. This seems to be a common trend with Black “fine artists” both past and present. I Wish I Was A Real Person represents all Black artists whose narratives and identities have been obscured from art history and contemporary art culture. #painting #portrait #artist #basquiat #jeanmichelbasquiat #greatjonesstreet #keepcreatingnscad #samo #legend #contemporaryart #contemporaryartist #canadianartist #bermudianartist #blackartist #27club #identity #blackman #imnotarealpersonimalegend #fineartist #arthistory #blackartmatters (at Halifax, Nova Scotia) https://www.instagram.com/p/CD4hfcunwZ3/?igshid=wg6itfyrn7ei











