Currently the Professor of the Practice of Art at Duke University, Beverly McIver is widely acknowledged as a significant presence in contemporary American art. Charting a new direction as an African American woman artist, she is committed to producing art that consistently examines racial, gender, social and occupational identity. McIver’s autobiographical paintings are richly colorful and chronicle her life struggle with her African-American identity. Her 2020 self-portraits and paintings of family and friends confront her feelings and fears of the chaos and isolation brought on by a pandemic while battling racial injustice. Her voice in these works is loud, unapologetic, brave and bold and the different interpretations by white and black viewers highlights the collision of the worlds that she straddles daily.
