Photo: AJ Stetson
Desmond Beach is a New York City artist and educator who explores race, identity, and social justice themes in his artistic practice. Through his work, Beach aims to transform the tragedies of the transatlantic slave trade and the Jim Crow American South into a celebration of fully living Black life.
Beach has an extensive background in teaching and has served as a visiting lecturer/artist at various institutions, including Coppin State University, Emerson College, Morgan State University, and College of the Atlantic. He has also been a fellow at the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown and Skidmore College, among others.
His educational background includes an MFA from the Rinehart School of Sculpture at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), where he also earned his BFA.
Beach's artwork spans various disciplines and is rooted in the experiences of Black people and those of African heritage in America. He draws inspiration from the African storytelling tradition and aims to honor his immediate ancestors as well as those of the African Diaspora.
Performance art plays a crucial role in Beach's work, as he creates spaces where the spirits of the ancestors can find rest. His work has been exhibited at institutions such as The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C., The Contemporary in Baltimore, Maryland, and the Neuberger Museum of Art in Purchase, New York.