Behind the Art: Chloe x Halle
Since first hearing their voices on their debut album, The Kids are Alright (2018), I’ve been a fan of Chloe x Halle’s talent and online platform. These sisters have two of the most angelic voices I’ve ever heard and seeing the cover art for their single, Do It, really reminded me of why I do what I do. The song is carefree and a testament to doing what you want happily and I had it on repeat for a solid three days, including the time I spent drawing this piece.
I think the energy of the song, coupled with the energy of these talented women fueled a portrait that I’m proud of and that I hope represents them well.
The song title was more than enough inspiration for me to start drawing so there was no hesitation when I saw the album art that went with it. Black angels aren’t a common visual so when I see this depiction of black people, I’m reminded again of why I create the art that I do. I do it for the countless black women who have never seen their image reflected in the depictions of angels we see in the church. I often questioned why the face of God is so often portrayed as a white one. Being raised in a black Christian household, the white portrayal of God and Jesus never resonated with me and if anything, it made me question the church.
If we are all made in His image, then why don’t we see many versions of God’s face? Why don’t we see angels of every color? One of the overarching motifs in my work is the angelic portrayal of black women. We deserve to be seen in artwork and we deserve to feel just as ethereal as the countless white women and men painted as angels in so many famous masterpieces. I want my work to be that space in which black people can feel as magical as we really are.
So, you can probably imagine how striking the artwork for Do It was for me, along with the title and energy of the song itself. I can only envision how striking and inspiring it must be for so many black people across the world to see two young black women as angels on a piece of artwork, and that is the very reason why I do what I do. The original photograph (pictured below) is stunning on its own, so I wanted to put my own spin on what I saw.
Do It, Chloe x Halle
The original cover artwork
Q: “What do you want people to take away from Do It?”
A: “You know, I just want people to take away good vibes and healing.”
Chloe x Halle Talk 'Do It' & Upcoming Album 'Ungodly Hour' | MTV News
The process of the drawing was easily one of the smoothest I’d had in a while. It came during my 100 days of charcoal series and I was excited to see how the image would lend itself to charcoal. I had the most fun working on their faces, but when it came to their bodies, I was thankful for their black dresses which offered a quick process.
Oddly enough, drawing the rest of the body is way more tiring to me than spending an hour or two on every minute detail of the face. But the challenge with this one is that I needed to draw their arms around each other - a beautiful show of intimacy and trust.
I’m glad I slowed down and spent the time needed on that part of the drawing because it is one of the best parts of the image. The pose, to me, represents unity and love. Below is a process of the drawing in snapshots throughout.
Chloe and Halle continuously impress me with their vocals and I look forward to seeing their well-deserved success in their careers. I’m also very excited to listen to their upcoming album, Ungodly Hour, on repeat this summer.
