Melvin Nesbitt Jr.

Melvin Nesbitt Jr. is a DC-based artist specializing in collage and assemblage artwork. Inspired by painter Ernie Barnes’ celebratory images of Black American life, Nesbitt creates visual narratives that center children and explore the bonds they have with each other and their communities. Using paper materials layered over drawings and paintings, the artist emphasizes the complexity of the African American condition. He delves into his own fading memories to recreate the settings of his childhood years in a poor South Carolina neighborhood. Nesbitt has developed a unique style of visual storytelling that invokes nostalgia and explores the inherent enthusiasm of youth and the perseverance of Black joy.