Little Rock artist Rex DeLoney will be the featured Artist of the Month for March at University of the Ozarks.
“Conversations in Color: Recent Works by Rex R. DeLoney,” will be on display through March 31, 2022, in the University’s Stephens Gallery, located in the Walton Fine Arts Center.
There will be an artist talk at 7 p.m. on March 31 in the Rogers Conference Center, followed by an art reception in the gallery from 8-9 p.m. DeLoney’s exhibit and visit is sponsored by the University’s Black Student Association.
DeLoney works with mixed media and says his artwork is focused on “storytelling, symbolism, and spirituality.”
“My goal is to reach the viewer emotionally and spiritually by using vibrant colors to awaken perceptual triggers in the mind,” he said. “I employ visually thick words, phrases, or quotes to create imagery that symbolize the hopes, dreams, and struggles of the African American Culture. I employ a technique called abstract realism. First, I create colorful mixed media abstract backgrounds. I then paint portraits or figurative works on top of these colorful backgrounds. I intentionally use bold colors for portrayal of my subjects rather than realistic colors to heighten the emotional impact. My most recent works have centered on the history of Black athletes using their platform to fight against social injustice.”
DeLoney, an art instructor and chair of the Fine Arts Department at Little Rock Central High School, earned his bachelor’s degree in commercial art from the University of Central Arkansas and his master’s degree in education from Central Washington University.
His colorful images have garnered many regional and national awards and are prominently displayed in private and public art collections across the United States.
His artwork can be viewed at www.rexdeloney.com