Corey Barksdale

Corey Barksdale was born in Tennessee into a family of artists. He was exposed to color and form at an early age by his grandmother, a quilt artist, and by his mother who expressed her intuitive feeling for design and fastidiousness for detail in all aspects of her daily life. This rich beginning is the root of Barksdale’s creative expression.

While earning his Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree at the Atlanta College of Art in 1994, Barksdale was heavily influenced by abstract expressionists and admires such mainstream artists as Jasper Johns, Clifford Still, William deKooning. The African-American masters Aaron Douglas, John Biggers, Romere Bearden, and William Tolliver have instilled in him a appreciation of African-American artistic heritage.

His subject matter ranges from human figures to non-objective abstracts. In recent years he has concentrated on themes that portray the love and strength that exists within the African American community. His paintings grace the covers of books, magazines, CD covers, and posters. Barksdale’s resume includes a project for Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington DC, as well as murals on the Atlanta Beltway. Among his goals is to give back to his community through art education.