“The mundane is valuable because these are our stories,” says Baltimore artist Jerrell Gibbs, whose figurative paintings are rooted in his upbringing, family, and community—narratives that are often overlooked by mainstream media. Gibbs was in the MFA program at the Maryland Institute College of Art a couple of years ago when his work was discovered by dealer Mariane Ibrahim, who is mounting his first solo exhibition at her Chicago gallery this September.
Employing predominantly oil paint, Gibbs applies loose brushstrokes and harmonic color palettes to conjure moments and memories of his childhood experience. Using the subjects in his paintings as an extension of himself, the artist guides the viewer into his past, gently revealing parts of his life. “When I look at the pictures in photo albums or think about conversations that I’ve had with family and friends, I’m thinking about the stories that are left out,” says Gibbs.
