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“One key insight that I want people to leave with after they look at my work? Just to be able to imagine. A little bit of imagination will affect somebody who’s looking at a painting and make them see themselves differently. Walking in somebody else’s shoes, or just engaging in a different way.” —Amy Sherald
Seriously. Amy Sherald actually has a new heart. At the age of 31, Sherald was diagnosed with congestive heart failure, and in 2012 at the age of 39, received a heart transplant. With an MFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art, and an apprenticeship with painter Odd Nerdrum under her belt, in 2018 Sherald was catapulted to stardom by the unveiling of her breathtaking portrait of first lady Michelle Obama. Referred to by President Obama as capturing “the grace and beauty and intelligence and charm and hotness of the woman that I love,” the commission also made Sherald along with Obama portraitist Kehinde Wiley the first African Americans to paint official presidential portraits.
In this video, Shine Creative visits Sherald as she prepares for her 2013 exhibition at the Lewis Museum in Baltimore, she talks about her influences, and what she hopes viewers take away from her work.
