Growing up, Sean G. Clark loved X-Men and comic books. Today, the New Orleans painter still draws on the formal elements of comic books, like color and composition, in his abstract and figurative works.,
Artist: The Tennessee native grew up in Chattanooga. In 2011, he graduated from Morehouse College in Atlanta with a BS degree in biology with a concentration in public health and African-American Studies.
After graduation, Clark moved to New Orleans to work in public health for several years, but continued making art on the side.
In 2019, he committed to becoming a full-time artist after a five-month residency at the Joan Mitchell Center in New Orleans.
Currently, Clark is working on his MFA in painting program at Tulane University.
Company/studio: Sean G. Clark is based in New Orleans, LA. The artist works from his current studio at Tulane University.
In the beginning: As a kid, he copied the pages of X-Men comic books.
Art & materials: Primarily abstract and figurative work with oil and acrylic paints. Started to incorporate textile into his work ($250 to $7,500).
Favorite tools: Palette knife, brayer and brush.
Inspirations:
- Writers James Baldwin and Ralph Ellison.
- Comic book illustrator Bill Sienkiewicz.
- Artists like the late Sammie Nicely and Benny Andrews.
Recent honors:
- 2021 Harpo Fellowship awarded by Santa Fe (NM) Art Institute.
- In 2022, Clark’s artwork was featured on the cover of the New York Times bestseller, “Under the Skin: The Hidden Toll of Racism n American Lives and on the Health of Our Nation” by Linda Villarosa.
Recent exhibit:
- Solo exhibit, “Along the Way,” at the LeMieux Gallery in New Orleans.
- Currently has work in the 2023 Louisiana Contemporary exhibit at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art in New Orleans.
Current project: Preparing for his thesis exhibition at Carroll Gallery at Tulane in April.
Buy:
- Lemieux Galleries.
- Whereyartworks.com
- Sgclarkart.com. See available works.
Social: Instagram: @ Sgclarkart
