The Black Cowboy 

The Black Cowboy is a series of acrylic paintings inspired by the historical accounts of African American cowboys during the Old West era (also commonly referred to as the “American Frontier” or the “Wild West”), an era not very far removed from slavery. 

Approximately 20 to 25 percent of cowboys at this time were African American. The term “Cowboy” was first used in a derogatory manner to describe African American ranchers, while their white counterparts were referred to as “Cow Hands”. 

Due to Western and White-centric media, there has been a concerted effort to erase history and depict Cowboys as white. The Black Cowboy collection is the artist’s way of refuting this and shedding light on the incredible lives of Bill Pickett, Isom Dart, and John Ware – all of whom inspired these paintings.