Troy Jones

Black Wall Street Gallery proudly presents the third solo exhibition by American painter Troy Jones of Jersey City. The exhibition, titled Troy Jones: Rebirth of the Cool, is curated by Dr. Wright.

After a successful past year, Troy Jones presents his own authentic version of cool in his upcoming solo exhibition Rebirth of the Cool, which features a series of oil paintings that serves as an evolution of early contemporary artists' juxtaposition of pose and fashion over time. In this series, Troy Jones has mastered his own rendition of cultural preservation through his trademark usage of the African tribal mask.

Furthermore, Jones’ commentary on African-American life depicts the masks that African Americans present to the world, referencing the use of ceremonial ‘Dan’ masks worn by the Mande people in regions of West Africa. Each figure symbolizes a masquerade of African Americans, exuding social, political and religious moments that exist in both the spiritual world and the physical world.

The exhibition's title, Rebirth of the Cool, parallels Troy's work to that of Miles Davis, a pioneer of modern jazz, who in 1957 released the album Birth of the Cool. Similar to Davis' adoption of techniques in classical music, Troy Jones mirrors a compilation of realist portraiture, contemporary black life, and a connection to the historical context of Africa.

Troy Jones (b. 1974) is a contemporary artist born and raised in Jersey City, NJ. He lives and works in Jersey City, NJ, and New York City. Troy Jones studied under the mentorship of world renowned artist and scholar Ben F Jones. Since receiving his Bachelor's Degree in Fine Art from New Jersey City University in 2015, he has exhibited his oil paintings extensively throughout the U.S. and abroad.

Artist Statement:

"The aim of my art is to shine a bright light on the lasting impact that the African diaspora has had on the African American experience. In my latest body of work, which are mostly large scale oil paintings, I employ a motif of African tribal masks donned by contemporary African Americans because I’ve been called to further narrate the story of African Americans in today’s society.

And while my subjects tend to carry a distinctly urban style and aesthetic, drawing viewers to their aura of modernity and confidence, their masks function as a direct link to their African heritage. In this way, the masks symbolize protection, guidance, vitality, and spirit. They’re also an allegory to hidden histories and cultural preservation. As a result, subjects embody aspects of what it means to be African American.

We need to see ourselves in the right light and it’s my hope that my work can bring light to us. One important question that I attempt to answer in my work is, How can African Americans contribute so much to the world and still not be seen? We’ve played a major role in the history of this nation so it would only be right for us to be recognized for it, but we aren’t. Instead, our contributions are largely erased or stolen and we’re rendered invisible.

The masks show the true spirit of African Americans at times and hide that spirit at other times. This type of duality creates a lot of complexities for us as humans. Therefore, my goal as an artist is to uplift African Americans and to reconnect us with our African spirit, the one thing that society can not take from us, no matter how often it refuses to see us, simply because that spirit is deep within us and it’s what we’ve inherited from our ancestors. What’s important is that we continue to see ourselves and see one another for who we truly are."