The Auburn Avenue Research Library, in collaboration with Hammonds House Museum will present “Lessons of Joy, Unbridled Wonders of Black Happiness Throughout the Decades” by renowned artist and educator K.Joy Ballard Peters. An emotionally vibrant retrospective of a Master virtuoso, Lessons of Joy, is an ebullient visual celebration of the lived Africana experience that foregrounds communal happiness and joy. Rooted in flawlessly executed Beardenesque collage techniques Peters births extraordinary transcendent appliqués that manifest the spiritual essence and unbridled wonders of Black happiness and joy.
Peters is a retired professor of Art and an applique artist living in Atlanta. She composes intricate designs including some mixed media aspects to her applique work.
Her notable appliqué technique, often described as “painting with fabric”, is her favorite and most used medium. Her appliqués can stand alone, beautifully framed to make a statement, or you may enjoy them on scarves, tote bags, clothing, aprons and note cards.
The collage technique is at the root of the inspiration of her appliqués. Collage is an artistic medium popularized by renowned artist Romare Bearden. Once inspired by a concept, Peters begins building the vision of the appliqué by selecting commercially produced fabrics, then cuts, redesigns, and sews by machine to create new images with dimension and depth. One must look carefully to see exactly which images and colors have been repurposed to create new scenes. Illusions and surprise textures appear without warning in her appliqués.
Additionally, she developed her watercolor painting skills and style while studying art at Howard University under internationally acclaimed artist, Lois Mailou Jones. There, she also explored working with acrylics, tissue paper collages, charcoal, printmaking techniques and ceramics. These techniques often appear in mixed media appliqués created by Peters.
A lover and creator of art since the age of 8, Peters enjoys exploring the arts, especially those with decorative and utilitarian purposes. Visual art has always been, and will continue to be, a part of her everyday living.
This “Lessons of Joy, Unbridled Wonders of Black Happiness Throughout the Decades” exhibition will be presented in the Cary-McPheeters Gallery and Peters will facilitate an exhibition artist talk 3 p.m. Sunday, June 22, 2017.
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