Arinze Stanley

Arinze Stanley creates hyperrealistic pencil and charcoal portraits of Black subjects that embody the complex emotions associated with the contemporary Black experience. Stanley began drawing at the age of six, using graphite pencils and materials from his family's paper business. The self-taught artist developed his photorealistic style by employing what he calls the three Ps: patience, practice, and persistence. Stanley works from live models, reference images, and his own imagination to create these methodical works: He often spends up to two months completing a single portrait. His subjects' emotions—which range from subtle to exaggerated—clearly register in these works, even when their faces are depicted dripping with thick liquid, obscured by woven paper masks, or pierced by bullet holes. Stanley's practice speaks to the realities of police brutality and racism and conveys his commitment to social justice and political activism.