Ta-coumba T. Aiken -- Untitled (19)

2022
Acrylic on tape mounted to paper
12 x 9 inches

DESCRIPTION:
Through a studio practice rooted in abstraction, with particular affinities to the work of Norman Lewis and Romare Bearden, and alongside a renowned public art practice ignited through John T. Biggers’ mentorship, Ta-coumba T. Aiken has spent decades channeling the spirits of his ancestors through form and color.

ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Through his tireless work as an artist, activist, and educator, Ta-coumba T. Aiken has made an immeasurable contribution to the civic and artistic life of the Twin Cities. His public artworks can be found across the Twin Cities including in the Walker Art Center's Sculpture Garden, the Hennepin Theatre Trust, the Walker West Music Academy and at the Gillette Children’s Hospital, among many other sites.

Aiken attended the Minneapolis College of Art and Design a is the recipient of numerous awards including a 2022 Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship in Fine Arts, a Pollock-Krasner Foundation grant, a Gottlieb Fellowship and a Bush Visual Arts fellowship and his work is included in numerous public art collections including the Walker Art Center, The McKnight Foundation, Minneapolis Central Library, Augsburg University, the Bush Foundation and the Saint Paul Foundation. Aiken has also served on numerous boards including the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, City of Minneapolis Arts Commission, African American Cultural Arts Center, Forecast Public Arts, Saint Paul Art Collective, Springboard for the Arts, and he has been a public arts advisor to the cities of St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Bloomington, Minnesota, and Marin City, California.