Mark Wilson, Open Arts LES Teaching Artist, LES Young Artists of Color Fellowship Facilitator, and 2023-24 Commissioned Artist
Mark Anthony Wilson Jr (b. 1995, Hampton, Virginia) is a self-taught artist whose practice marries the unveiling of African American heritage with Afrofuturism through painting, sculpting, and installation. After playing football at the University of Cincinnati and earning a master’s degree (2018) in Applied Behavior Analysis, he found his passion for art while working as a therapist. Inspired by the Indigenous Totem Poles in Washington, he developed an identity in masquerade. Finding empowerment in historical moments of Black resilience to bear arms in self-defense and militant duties. He utilizes the references to establish new tools for liberation through Afrofuturism.