Muscular brushstrokes bring to life the painting of a young black man who is set against a textured white background. Shades of red, yellow, orange outline angular features on his bowed head. His closed eyes suggest deep thought.
This 24-by-36 inch painting, “Dans L‘air,” loosely meaning in French “There is a sad or happy air,” is a self-portrait of Leonardo Laurenceau — one of the most talented young artists in the country.
The 17-year-old from Jersey City will confess the portrait is part of a story about a boy on the verge of becoming a man.
Laurenceau won this year’s Art Portfolio Gold Award from the Scholastic Inc. Art & Writing Awards, joining several world-renowned alumni including Richard Avedon, Philip Pearlstein, Andy Warhol and Zac Posen, among other artists who’ve garnered the distinction over the past 87 years since its inception.
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article courtesy of nj.com
