In JOHN LISTER III’s second exhibition at STELLA JONES GALLERY he is showcased with an exciting emerging artist, ZSUDAYKA NZINGA. Several themes are repeated in their work as they offer disparate views of America including race, class, religion, heroes and heroines.

Lister’s work provides social commentary on the struggles and lifestyles of Black Americans with an approach that is both lyrical and methodical. He utilizes the visual language of stylized figures, icons, text, symbols and bold colors, along with imagery from popular culture.

Lister received a BFA from Bowie State University and attended Morgan State University. He has a myriad of influences on his work but considers Pablo Picasso, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Cy Twombly, Gustav Klimt, Robert Rauschenberg, Henri Matisse and Roy Lichenstein to be his greatest inspirations. His work is found in many private collections as well as the permanent collection of the New Orleans Museum of Art.

Nzinga is a multi-disciplinary artist, curator and arts educator living and working in Washington, DC. The artist considers her work cultural anthropology and focuses on mixed media portraiture that reflects American culture, more specifically the Black woman in America. Her work contains symbolism and many patterns inspired by textile fabrics, Ankara and cultural fabric patterns as well as stained glass.

Her work has been exhibited in public spaces around DC and can be found in many private collections.