This is a very early Charles Searles painting, created in Philadelphia shortly before the artist traveled to Nigeria. In this piece, Searles has already begun incorporating the shapes, angles, and planes of the African masks from the University of Pennsylvania’s Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology into his local, urban American subjects. Searles’ interest in historical African forms, patterns, and colors would establish the direction of his future work and his exploration of his heritage throughout his career. 

This painting comes from a private collection, acquired directly from the artist. Exhibited in Afro-American Images, State Armory, Wilmington, DE, 1971 and Afro-American Images 1971: The Vision of Percy Ricks, Delaware Art Museum, Wilmington, DE, Oct. 2021-Jan. 2022. Excellent condition.
 

Searles was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA. After graduating from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, he taught at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia (then Philadelphia College of Art). Searles relocated his studio to New York City in 1978, but continued to teach at PCA until 1994. 

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After traveling to Nigeria for the first time in 1972, Searles returned to Philadelphia to incorporate the vivid palette and energetic patterns he encountered in contemporary Nigerian culture into his own work. His travels in Africa marked his life and work forever -- the life, the rhythms, the patterns, and the energy -- and his work celebrates his new sense of renewal and the African experience.

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Other works by Charles Searles: