The Hood Revisited by Taiwo DuVall

The Hood Revised by Taiwo DuVall, 2000, Woodcut, 12 x 16 inches

“My woodcut depicts two friends in a Harlem neighborhood. The younger boy is revisiting the older boy to learn more African drumming techniques, build self-confidence, and continue their proud heritage.”

Taiwo DuVall – author, artist, musician, folklorist – was born in Washington, D.C. He is a self-taught artist who started painting when he was only 4 years old, and as a young man, he left D.C. for Harlem, attending many schools including the City College of New York, and graduating from New York’s Pan American School of Art. His gift from God turned into lifelong work that included a position as a staff artist for the Third Press Publishers and pursuing his education by studying art design with an emphasis on printmaking at the University of Maryland. Taiwo’s personal life greatly influences his work; as a realist painter, his work is filled with mostly bright colors, and portrays characters that mimic real life such as children jumping rope or small groups of men drumming – as if they were actual photographs or windows into their lives.