Manifesting the Unseen
by Ernest Williamson III
Angel Erelah’s Concern, 2020. Ink and acrylic paint on paper. 30 x 50 inches.
I began painting seriously at nineteen. The glorious works of the old masters, such as Raphael, El Greco, Da Vinci, and Picasso had a profound impact on me and inspired me to develop my own artistic vision.
My work attempts to manifest that which is far too often unseen and underrealized. Angel Erelah’s Concern depicts two supernal beings praying for unity. Il a Plus de Copines que Toi Mon Ami shows a Muslim woman praying for peace in France. Her respect for Christianity is evidenced by her closeness to the cross.
Throughout my teaching career, I have met many wonderful people from all over the world, and I am fascinated with disparate cultures. Many Americans do not see the spiritual lives of folk from other cultures evinced in abstraction. What is it like to see a Nigerian fisherman or a Filipino farmer in abstracted expressionistic forms? Diversity in art is important because America is a diverse country. My work, in part, is a reminder of this growing reality.
Il a Plus de Copines que Toi Mon Ami, 2020. Ink, acrylics on paper. 30 x 50 inches.
Dr. Ernest Williamson III has published creative work in over 650 journals. His poetry has appeared in over 200 outlets, including Roanoke Review, Fragmented Voices, and I-70 Review. His artwork has also appeared in hundreds of publications, including New England Review, Penn Review, Columbia Review, Kestrel, and Tulane Review. Ernest is a multiple Best of the Net nominee and currently lives in Tennessee.
