By: Mary Jones
Artist Story
Amy Hansson
Art Critic, Gagosian Gallery
Baquo’s Abstract Blues
For Baquo, these blues are gestures toward cultural reclamation.
“These paintings are the most raw in form, color, expression and have become icons in their own right.”
Emily Smith, Art Historian
Most of his work is seen as largely autobiographical and personal work.
A personal take
“These paintings are the most raw in form, color, expression and have become icons in their own right.”
Paul Sons, Art Historian
He depicts himself as victim and victor, a new concept for art of the time.
His themes tackle, head-on, perceptions of what a Black artist can represent.
Radical by Choice
There’s an inherent rejection of the mainstream culture in favor of stories that are more raw, emotional and moving.
“These were groundbreaking when artists of the 1980s were largely white.”
James Doe, Art Historian
Born in 1959 in New York City, Baquo was born to parents of Haitian and Dominican descent. He enrolled as an apprentice at the BK Museum of Art.