LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — His art has been seen by thousands.
Many Little Rock drivers pass it while moving through downtown every day.
Perrion Hurd is infusing African-American culture into his work. Our Black History Month series continues with how Hurd hopes his art will inspire future generations.
The 47-year-old artist was born in Hughes, Arkansas and raised in Memphis. Now, he calls Little Rock home.
Anyone who saw his masterpieces or even watched him work would agree that he's an artistic mastermind.
But he can’t help but be reminded of the looming deadline – quickly approaching.
Surrounded by visual arts his entire life, it was the powerful Afro-centric pieces he remembers most and where he draws much of his inspiration.
“The style that I have developed is very line heavy. I love seeing the figures... outlines of the figures. I work with silhouettes, bold colors, shapes and geometry.”
The geometric shapes seem traced, but Hurd does it all free-hand. When asked how long it took him to get to that point, he smiled and said simply, "25 years."
While he’s been perfecting his craft for more than two decades, Hurd admits his art had been asleep for a long time. But the creativity was awakened with the birth of his daughter.
The artist once had a prospering career in the medical field, performing autopsies.
Unfulfilled and faced with the reality that he was destined to do more– Hurd found the motivation to pick up the brush again.
It’s his persistence that he hopes inspires young people of color.
“I hope that no matter what’s going on in their lives or where they are in their lives, that they can look up and see themselves in the work that I’m producing for the community,” Hurd said.
“I believe that it’s important for the children to see themselves in the environment that they grow up in so that they can have a stake in the communities that they grow up in, live in, work in.”
After months of drawing, revising and painting— he finally saw his entire vision come to life.
Hurd is the 2020 Black History Month Featured Artist at Mosaic Templars Cultural Center.
Hand-painted banners and his exhibition “Wonders and Signs” were revealed this month.
A rediscovery of his passion is what produced these works of art that is now on display for the world to see.
“I would like to uplift people. I would like to inspire people to believe in themselves, to believe in their dreams,” he said.
Perrion has a lot planned for the future. He’s doing a lot of work with Yellow Dog Press and has some upcoming projects geared toward the youth in our community.