Brooklyn-based artist and filmmaker Ajamu Kojo presents GREAT AMERICANS: Selected Paintings (2013-2024), a powerful exhibition that examines and celebrates Black excellence through the lens of American history. The collection features meticulously crafted portraits using the Mischtechnik, including the striking centerpiece "A Portrait of George Washington and His Slaves," which incorporates gold leaf and confronts the complex legacy of America's first president. This piece first premeiered at the Delta Triennial exhibition with the Arkansas Museum of fine arts in 2024.

Drawing from his extensive background in film, television, and scenic art at institutions like The Metropolitan Opera House, Kojo brings a cinematic sensibility to his paintings. The exhibition challenges traditional narratives of American greatness by highlighting both celebrated and unheralded contributions of Black Americans across various fields. While presented during Black History Month, the exhibition assertively positions these stories as integral to the broader American narrative, transcending temporal boundaries to spark crucial dialogues about race, representation, and historical truth.

This exhibition continues Kojo's trajectory of socially engaged art, following his acclaimed BLACK WALL STREET: A Case for Reparations Series, which has been exhibited at prestigious venues including Jenkins Johnson Projects, a solo museum exhibition at Montclair State University, and The Sheen Center. Through his masterful blend of classical technique and contemporary storytelling, Kojo creates a compelling visual testimony to the enduring impact of Black excellence in American culture.

This exhibit will remain on view at North Fork Arts Center from Feb 8, 2025 - March 12, 2025.