Derrick Bell is a local Bay Area painter and furniture maker whose work explores themes of storytelling, Blackness, and social experience. Originally born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Bell’s studio is located in Oakland, California. He holds a BA in Studio Art from Morehouse College and an MA in Art Education from Mount St. Joseph University. Bell’s work has been exhibited across the US and in South Africa.

Though an acrylic painting, Mindrise conjures the feeling of standing before a stained-glass window, with its mosaic of luminous colors and shapes. This effect is achieved through layers of glazed color applied using an additive and subtractive technique. The gold leaf of the crown shimmers triumphantly as it draws the eye upward, lending the piece a spiritual tone.

Bell created Mindrise as part of a larger series of works that brings attention to social injustice issues, with a focus on the experiences of those of the African diaspora. Although abstracted, we could read the brown shapes as the mind – or perhaps the soul – rising from oppression, exploitation and violence. It is a piece about hope and perseverance. It asks us to consider the dignity of human life. “Legacy and the importance of maintaining self-esteem for human beings,” is a central theme in many of Bell’s pieces. Mindrise, with its riotous colors and sparkling gold leaf, celebrates the legacy of those whose voice is often forgotten or erased from history. In Mindrise, their legacy is documented and honored.

Mindrise was acquired in 2021 by the Art on Campus Task Force as part of an ongoing effort to grow the LPC art collection, with a focus on local Bay area artists and LPC student artists.

Credit: Nike Foundation Site Funds, CLPCCD’s Board of Trustees, Art on Campus Task Force