Chicago artist Eldzier Cortor is renowned for his images of serene, regal African-American women with elongated features influenced by African sculpture. Typically, they wear a vibrant headband inspired by the Gullah women of the Sea Islands. One of the first African-American artists to make black women his main focus, Cortor, born in 1916, is the oldest living black artist who worked for the Works Progress Administration prior to World War II.
“Eldzier Cortor: Master Printmaker,” on view through March 2 at the San Antonio Museum of Art, features three complete suites of prints of the Jewels, Facets and L’Abbatoire series plus four of his paintings, including two lent by local collectors Harriet and Harmon Kelley. All of the prints and paintings in this exhibit have been donated to the museum, making a remarkable addition to SAMA’s nationally recognized collection of African-American art.
Because Cortor spent most of his career in the Midwest
Article source: http://sacurrent.com/arts/visualart/sama-presents-eldzier-cortor-s-stunning-prints-of-african-american-life-1.1613088