We were lucky to catch up with Zerric Clinton recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Zerric thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I guess I always knew that I was a creative and that was my pathway through this thing we call life. To me the turning point in my career was meeting my mentor mixed media artist Kevin Cole. I met him at a National Art Education Association conference in New Orleans, LA. where we served on a teaching panel together. After the presentation he invited me to his art show that was at Stella Jones Art Gallery and told me the next time I was in Atlanta to stop by his studio. A few months later I was in Atlanta, GA and brought some of his work by his studio and he encouraged me to pursue my work more. I took that to heart knowing that I would have to relocate to a place that was larger than the small town where I was residing. As the school year started I continued to think about relocating to a larger place to teach and pursue my work. I decided that Metro Atlanta was a good possibility. Once I secured a series of interviews I contacted Kevin Cole and told him when I would be coming up to interview. He insisted that I would stay at his studio instead of a hotel. I did end up staying at his studio and all I could think of was pursuing my art career. All the artwork that I saw was inspiring. Actually, I think that was his purpose for inviting me to stay at his studio. That night I know that I was going to become more assertive in pursuing my art. This was in 2015. Since then my art has improved and I continue to work daily to improve on my approach to creating mixed media abstract works of art. Ove the past few years I have been in several shows and there are several accolades that I have received. I really realized that I am on the right path when I was selected to participate in the In the Paint Exhibit Celebrating State Farm’s 100th Anniversary. https://www.nba.com/hawks/inthepaint

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I have mentors that constantly dialogue with me about the direction on my work and they remind me that I must share my gift with society. Additionally, I have family members that encourage me to continue on this artistic journey. I guess I also have intrinsic motivation as well. Each day I work on something that is related to my craft. If I am not working on a particular piece of art I am always thinking about the next series. I do a lot of research and sketching to work through ideas. The life of an artist really never ends. Even when I am not focusing on art I often see things that inspire me to dig deeper in terms of how I can become a better artist. Since my work often focuses on social issues I am motivated to use my artwork as my personal microphone. So, in essence my artwork is my outlet to express my inner thoughts and feelings about things that I see in society. Music is also a motivator for me as it ties in to things that happen in our society. Often, I listen to music while I go to work in the studio. My abstract works focus on social issues, but not in a negative way. I am that artist that wants to uplift people with my abstract creations. I can imagine that the way that I create will definitely evolve over the years. For me taking chances in the way that I create is necessary. Artists have to stay fresh so I know that my art will most likely look very different in the years to come.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

AFRICOBRA: Experimental Art toward a School of Thought (Art History Publication Initiative) Paperback – May 8, 2020 by Wadsworth A. Jarrell (Author)

Collecting African American Art: Works on Paper and Canvas Hardcover – December 22, 1998
by Halima Taha (Author)

(Author )Kevin Cole – Where Do We Go From Here? Exploring Gerrymandering and Voting 2022

Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power Hardcover – September 26, 2017
by Mark Godfrey (Editor, Contributor), Zoé Whitley

The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
by Michelle Alexander | Jan 7, 2020

The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration
by Isabel Wilkerson, Robin Miles, et al

Nation of Cowards: Black Activism in Barack Obama’s Post-Racial America (Blacks in the Diaspora) by David H. Ikard and Martell Lee Teasley | Dec 22, 2021

Caste (Oprah’s Book Club): The Origins of Our Discontents
by Isabel Wilkerson, Robin Miles, et al

How to Sell Your Art Online: Live a Successful Creative Life on Your Own Terms
by Cory Huff | Jun 28, 2016

AFRICOBRA: Messages to the People Hardcover – January 5, 2021
by Jeffreen Hayes (Editor), Chana Sheldon (Foreword), Leslie Guy

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Yes. My work is driven by social issues that I see and personal experiences that I encounter. My art is a way for me to expressively display these things. I guess in some ways my time in the studio being a creative serves as a therapeutic way to artistically respond to things. Additionally, I think that it is my purpose to introduce people to issues that they may not be aware of or that they don’t really want to deal with.

Contact Info:

• Website: zerricarts.com
• Instagram: @zerricarts
• Facebook: Zerric Clinton
• Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/zerric-clinton-1299b284
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wv11ZGEIyQM Artist Spotlight with Artist Zerric Clinton

Image Credits
Zerric Clinton LLC