Last year, artist Antonia Ruppert traveled to Alabama to visit family. Before she returned to Chicago, her cousin gave her some family memorabilia to take home, including a photograph of her grandfather, Prince James.
Ruppert had never met her grandfather, but she had heard stories of how he overcame injustice during the Jim Crow era, how he supported his 11 children as a sharecropper, and how he made sure they never went hungry.
“It was amazing, the resilience I found in my family,” Ruppert said.
Since that trip, Ruppert has been exploring her family roots and creating art. She’s working toward an exhibition as part of her MFA degree that will include video interviews with family members, music, and a series of 11 paintings.
Central to this exhibit is a painting featuring her grandfather. And, Ruppert created part of it at the library!
The Greatest of These Is Love
Using the poster printer in the Main Library Creative Studio, Ruppert made a larger print of that photo of her grandfather. She placed him in the middle of a 30-by-40-inch panel, and layered on acrylic paint.
As shown above, the mixed-media acrylic collage painting The Greatest of These Is Love depicts different generations of Ruppert’s family. Around the image of her grandfather, she painted her daughter and grandson, as well as plant foliage to symbolize growth.
And as the artist, Ruppert is in the painting too, of course.
“I feel I’m the voice of my ancestors,” she said. “I’m here to share their story and their importance and what they passed down.”
Meet the artist & see the painting in December
Ruppert’s final MFA project is titled “Shared Hope: The Profound Power of Art and Music in Community.”
“Despite injustice, disinvestment, and some of the challenges, there’s still hope that can come from art and music,” she explained. “Both in creating it and appreciating it.”
Ruppert will display her piece The Greatest of These Is Love at the Kwanzaa Celebration at the Main Library on December 30, alongside other artists including Tia Etu and Hasani Cannon.
All are invited to come appreciate this evening of art and culture, including dance, drumming, poetry, and storytelling in honor of this Black American Harvest celebration.