Tag Archives: Cedric Cox

Charismata at Xavier University

Posted on by


Charismata is a solo exhibition of new work by regionally and nationally recognized artist Cedric Michael Cox at Xavier University. Charismata, which is a Latin term for spiritual gift or gift of grace, is a colorful array of paintings that Cox began in January of 2025 fresh from his highly successful exhibitions at Eisele Gallery and Studio Kroner in 2024. The core body of works in Charismata features over 20 new large-scale paintings that boldly capture his diverse subjects catapulted in his unique blend of surrealism and representational abstraction. His whimsical rhythmic forms that create prisms of passion are now fully expressed in various genres. From narrative still life paintings of fantastical botanicals with aspiring messages to mid-century cubist-inspired compositional clusters of musical instruments, Cox invites us into his studio with every stroke. The lyrical landscapes and cityscapes from his Vivid Village and Combined Community series, along with his ever-evolving interpretation of the resilient human spirit through abstraction, offer the viewer something new with every piece. The exhibition also features figurative pieces that were inspired by his residency at Frederick Douglass Academy. These paintings pay tribute to the people who welcomed him with open arms and supported him early in his career, who stood as monuments in the legacy of Cincinnati art history. “My paintings are an inner reflection of the people, places, and objects that surround my everyday life. I do this by creating rhythmic, anatomically inspired renderings that tell my story through abstraction.“ With my art, I intend for the personal to become universal among all groups of people, as we celebrate individual freedom, find our likenesses, and harmonize our differences.” Charismata will also showcase career highlights with paintings and drawings from his Ascending Horizons exhibition at the Weston Art Gallery in 2010, and Color and Rhythm exhibition at the Taft Museum of Art in 2017.  During the course of Charismata at Xavier University, Cox participated in student critique alongside faculty and gallery talks.

Proceed to Progress 48 x 48 inches, acrylic on canvas

Composer at the Table with Violin, 60 x 36 inches acrylic on canvas

Congregation, 72 x 120 inches, acrylic on canvas

The Anatomical Rhythms No. 4, 40 x 60 inches, acrylic on canvas

The Color of Creation No. 2, 72 x 48 inches, acrylic on canvas

Composer at the Table, 60 x 36 inches, acrylic on canvas

Vivid Village No. 7, 48 x 36 inches, acrylic on canvas

Vivid Village No. 6, 60 x 48 inches, acrylic on canvas

New artwork at the New Dayton Metro Library Huber Heights Branch

Posted on by
Parade 6 x 60 at the Dayton Metro Library Huber Heights Branch

Thank you, Dayton Metro Library and the Dayton Art Institute, for this amazing honor.  In partnership with the Dayton Art Institute, the Dayton Metro Library has commissioned visual artists to create artwork appropriated from pieces within the Institute’s permanent collection. Inspired by the romantic nature scene of “Growing Flowers” by American painter, Mary Pierce, and the hard geometric vibrant colored Antelope Head Puppet from the Bozo people of West Africa, my painting, “Parade,” vividly celebrates the joy of discovery.  Every time viewers return to the 6 x 60-foot canvas, I want them to be drawn into it and find something new.  Like the layers of leaves that are evenly balanced with the atmospheric sunrise of Pierce’s work, I am creating an expansive all-over compositional climax that references the natural world and pulls the viewer in. The patterns of contrasting shifts in color appropriated from Bozo people of Mali create a rhythm of continuous movement that motivates and inspires.  As the forms interweave and interact with each other to create a greater whole, this painting echoes the library’s vision of elevating community.

Mary Forrer Peirce (1838–1929) American, Growing Flowers, 1869, Oil on canvas, 24 x 20 ¼ inches, The Dayton Art Institute, Gift of Suzanne Jordan Morris through her sister, Jean Jordan Phillips, 1942.33 (Left)

Bozo people (Mali), Antelope Head Puppet, 20th century, Paint, wood, iron, and rubber, 26 1/2 inches, Museum purchase, 1998.94 (Right)

Artist in Residency 2023 E. H. Greene

Posted on by

Last week I visited E.H. Greene Intermediate School to see our recently installed 6 x 16-foot mural, “Vivid Village,” that over 900 students worked on with me this past school year.  I would like to thank Art Educators, Amy Jo Combs and Jaclyn Becker, for inviting me back to your classroom for my fourth artist residency at E.H. Greene.  Thank you, Montgomery Women’s Club, for supporting this project, and thank you to all the students who participated in making this Vivid Village come to life.

Local 12 News features New Avondale Murals

Posted on by

Thank you so much, Cassandra Arsenault, of Local 12 News Cincinnati, for covering my 4 new murals in Avondale. Please follow the link below to see her piece.

Watch It Now

Good Things Going Around Clifton

Posted on by

6-20-Cedric-panel1-e1466428130425

My good friend Lisa Desatnik and author of the Good Things Going Around featured The Clifton Cultural Arts Center Mural ” Red Hot Blues” in her latest blog.
Thanks Lisa. To read more follow this link