Today we’d like to introduce you to Ajuan Mance.
Hi Ajuan, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I often say that my art practice began in 1996, at the end of my first year as an English Professor (at the University of Oregon). In reality, though, art has always been the primary tool through which I have explored, questioned, synthesized, and sometimes challenged the ideas, people, and places I encounter in my world.
My most recent projects have been in the area of comics, illustration, and fine art. I have always enjoyed figurative work, both as an artist and as an art lover. I grew up driving distance to Manhattan, so school field trips and family outings frequently took us to the city’s museums and galleries. Those trips, along with countless hours prowling art history stacks at my local public and university libraries, were my entry point into the vast possibilities for visual expression.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has been a fairly smooth road, partly because my so-called day job, as a professor of African American literature, has given me the space to develop as an artist, without the pressure of having to earn significant income from my work. Still, though, the demands of the tenure track in a field not in the arts has, at critical moments, limited the amount of time I can spend on my both personal projects and commissions.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Although I began my art career as a painter (mostly acrylic on paper or canvas), I now specialize in comics and illustration. My current medium is ink and digital collage on paper. I draw in ink on paper (standard sketchbook paper or Bristol), and then I add color and collage elements using a combination of traditional and digital media.
I am most proud of the ways that my fine art (drawings created for gallery shows) and my illustrated books explore and celebrate the complexity of African American history, culture, and community, while also expressing my hope for our Black futures.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
To support my work, follow me on Instagram or Facebook, purchase my books, or request that your local or campus library carry them; and if you like my work, please share it with a friend.
Also, I love doing commissions and I often work with clients, especially public radio, non-profit organizations, colleges and universities, as well as business run by and/or serving people of color. If you would like to collaborate on a project or if you would like me to speak at your organization, institution, or event, email me at [email protected] or message me (Ajuan Mance) on Facebook or Instagram.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ajuanmance.com/
- Instagram: @AjuanMance
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AjuanManceArt
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajuanmance/
- Twitter: @AjuanMance
Image Credits
Ajuan Mance