About the Artist
Curtis Woody is a mixed media collage painter, drawing inspiration from historical connection points that join together individuals, families, generations, and communities. He creates highly textured and intricately detailed original art pieces that are intended to breathe new life into and enhance the unique characteristics of a common historical heritage. To Curtis, life is a circle and he takes pleasure in salvaging the old to create something new, asking the viewer to recognize the past while appreciating the here and now. His creative pursuit has rapidly increased by a quest for discovering unusual things as well his interest in historical documents. His paintings are research-based collages and layers which are fabricated in a variety of ways. He highlights impactful images and also pay close attention to minute details. Some paintings start with hand cuts museum board blocks that are painted, embellished, scratched and merged together. Curtis uses an assortment of found objects, old books, aged photographs, buttons, letters, vintage newspapers, and rusty metal combined with a variety of artistic mediums. The meaning of the attached elements often becomes clearer to him as they are assembled. The result is a continual search for a balance between spontaneity and historical relevance. His richly layered work invites viewers to step in closer, explore details, and create or reflect on their own stories of connection. Because of the multi-layering, it is Curtis's expectation that the paintings become thoughtful, spiritual, interesting and sensitive creations. His career is characterized by a continuing allegiance to the African American cultural heritage. Curtis collage paintings are in corporate, government, library, museum and private collection in Africa, Europe and throughout the USA. He is a Prince George resident with a 50-year long career of creative pursuits. Curtis is presently represented by Zenith Gallery of the Nation's Capital and Gallery Serengeti in capitol heights, Maryland.
