Rashad Ali Muhammad
WARRIOR UNDER THE SUN, 2021
Artist Statement:
Warrior Under the Sun is my commentary on how we view the complexity and nuances of masculinity, especially in the Black community. Men are conditioned to be strong and not show emotions, which is often seen as a weakness, but in reality, showing all our emotions signifies strength. To experience all our emotions is to be human and a whole person. True strength lies in balancing our masculine and feminine energies.
BIO:
Rashad Ali Muhammad is a multidisciplinary collage artist known for creating vivid and captivating works reflecting the vast complexities of our human existence. Muhammad's ongoing journey to expand his emotional intelligence ignited his desire to explore the intricacies of the human experience — the expansive intersections that shape our lives and how we can relate to each other beyond the surface. His experiences as a queer, gender-nonconforming person of the African diaspora reflect his fondness for utilizing art as a catalyst to liberate minds from the binary confines of society. Through his art, he cultivates open space for healing and rejuvenation from our chaotic world.
Muhammad's emphasis on connecting to his inner child and love for experimentation fuels his whimsical and enchanting artistic sensibilities. For him, collage combines intention, invention, and investigation, dissecting established references and reassembling them to create new compelling visions. With a formal graphic design and photography education, Muhammad blends his acquired skills to create art that fascinates and expands the mind.
Muhammad is a resident artist at the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria, VA. His art has been exhibited extensively throughout the Washington Metropolitan region (DC, Maryland, Virginia), with other national and international exposure. He is a 2023 Art and Peacebuilding Fellow with the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution at GMU. His artwork has appeared broadly in print and digital media, including the Washington Post, Kolaj Magazine, Create! Magazine, and British GQ.