AfriCOBRA

AfriCOBRA was a collective of African American artists in Chicago, who aimed to uplift and empower black communities.

AfriCOBRA held a philosophical mission centred on creating powerful visual representations of the African diaspora, aiming for these images to resonate with all black people. Their vision was to foster unity within the African Diaspora, transcending the Western concept of self in favour of community progress. The founding members sought to pay homage to the past, provide context to the present, and envision a promising future. With this objective in mind, they formulated a mission statement and guiding principles, articulated in a manifesto written by Jeff Donaldson.

The artists believed that, through collective awareness, their art and creations could drive social and political transformation within their communities. AfriCOBRA's aesthetic principles revolved around the use of "vibrant colours, depictions of the human figure, distinctive lines, lettering, and imagery reflecting the social, economic, and political conditions of their ethnic group." Their intention was to embrace the "specific visual qualities inherent to their ethnic heritage."

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We collaborate with artists to create both limited editions and works on paper.

A limited edition is a set number of similar or identical artworks. The size of the edition denotes the total number of artworks that will ever be made, underscoring their value.

Framing options vary for each piece and are listed on the individual artwork pages. Our standard glazing offer is a minimum 90% UV acrylic plexiglass, or you can upgrade to an anti reflective Optium museum plexiglass.

Yes, 100%. We work directly with our artists to create editions that accurately represent their body of work. Additionally, every artist personally reviews and approves their final editions.

Every artwork is signed or stamped, and individually numbered. You will also receive a stamped and numbered certificate of authenticity.

No—the copyright is not transferred to the purchaser of the edition.

All the ins and outs can be found on our orders and shipping page.

Parra's studio, with Parra at the centre, his back to the camera as he works on the large painting takes centre stage, showing a faceless blue woman in a striped dress, painted in red, purple, blue and teal. The studio is full of brightly coloured paints, with a large window on the right and a patterned rug across the floor under the painting.