BIOGRAPHY:
Zerric Clinton has both a BFA in Art Education, an M.A. in Educational Leadership, Valdosta State University, and a PhD in Art Education from Florida State University. Zerric’s studio is located at 136 Hood Street in the Gallery at Hood Street in McDonough, GA.
Recent shows include: A Decade of Creativity: Celebrating 10 Years of Art, Emma Darnell Aviation Museum, Atlanta, GA., 5th LaGrange Regional Art Exhibition, LaGrange Art Museum, LaGrange, GA., Two Sides of Color, Shape and Form, Emma Darnell Aviation Museum, Atlanta, GA., Identity Politics: Where Do We Stand?, Arts Clayton, Jonesboro, GA. Artcestry, Privi Gallery, Stonecrest, GA., ICON exhibit, d’Art Center, Norfolk, VA., Healing Humanity exhibit at Steffen Thomas Museum of Art, Buckhead, GA. NCA 2021 MLK Exhibit, New Orleans, LA., Infectious Creativity Exhibit, Kennesaw State University, 4th Annual Abstract Project, Mozaik Art Museum, Los Angeles, Fayetteville, NC, A Sense of Place, Augusta, GA., Freedom of Abstraction, Brooklyn, NY, 32nd Annual McNeese Art Show, Lake Charles, LA.
He was commissioned by Valerie Art Appraiser Cooper to create art for the Atlanta Housing Authority.
Zerric created artwork for the Hawks Foundation and State Farm collaboration https://www.nba.com/hawks/inthepaint .
Zerric is a current participant in T W I R L: A Decade of Artist Interviews, https://www.twirlproject.com/about.html
His work was featured in Kappan Online magazine, https://kappanonline.org/south-carolina-2-clinton/.
Earlier in 2024 Zerric’s story Pivotal Moments was featured in We Are Henry Magazine, https://wearehenry.com/pivotal-moments/.
In the last year I have started making much larger Big Blocks from wood flooring scraps and plywood. I enjoy creating every piece!
Visit Zerric Clinton’s WE ARE HENRY Feature Article
ZERRIC CLINTON ARTIST STATEMENT
It was Wassily Kandinsky that said, Colour is a power which directly influences the soul.” What speaks to my soul are the social issues that affect people. I am heavily influenced by AfriCOBRA artists like Cole and James Phillips who used bright colors in their works of art.
In my work I apply color in a polyrhythmic way and use cutouts to symbolize the intricate details. Building up layers upon layers of cutouts in my work is used to rhythmically showing how the interplay of these pure contrasting colors enhance the image. Ultimately, I seek to create colorful abstract three-dimensional pieces that each viewer has an opportunity to interact with in an intimate way to locate subtle symbolism.
Truthfully, my work deals with social issues that we experience in society and I use intricate cutouts and symbolic colors to reference specific elements in my work. When I think back to a pivotal moment in my life that propelled me to become the artist educator that I am today I think of my great uncle Millard Surrency. When I was 13 years old he told me that I would be a doctor one day.
That prophetic statement has stuck with me over the years and it compels me to continue to strive to be my best version of an artist educator.