H. Kofi Bailey — African Series (Series 16)
H. Kofi Bailey — African Series (Series 16)
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Original vintage Contemporary Crafts edition from the Samella Lewis Publishing Archive.
Ships securely in a poster tube. Certificate of authenticity included.
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Why This Work Matters
African Series — Series 16 demonstrates H. Kofi Bailey's remarkable ability to communicate humanity through simplicity. Executed as an original charcoal drawing and published as a vintage Contemporary Crafts offset lithograph, the composition portrays a young African child with extraordinary sensitivity. Through restrained draftsmanship and subtle expression, Bailey transforms an everyday subject into a timeless meditation on innocence, dignity, and cultural identity.
Throughout his career, Bailey believed that representational art could speak directly to the human experience. Rather than relying on elaborate narrative, he allowed posture, proportion, and expression to carry emotional meaning. Published by Contemporary Crafts under the direction of Dr. Samella Lewis as part of the Black Artists on Art publishing program, this original vintage edition preserves the work of an artist whose lifelong exploration of African heritage and the Black experience continues to receive renewed scholarly and institutional recognition.
Provenance & Publication
Publication Period
Early 1970s
Copyright
© Contemporary Crafts, Inc.
Produced by
Contemporary Crafts Inc.
Published under the authority
Published by Contemporary Crafts as part of the Black Artists on Art publishing program under the direction of Dr. Samella Lewis.
Source Archive
Original publishing archive and collection of Dr. Samella Lewis
Published during the expansion of the Black Artists on Art publishing program, this original vintage edition remains part of the Samella Lewis Publishing Archive and reflects Contemporary Crafts' longstanding commitment to documenting significant Black artists through original publication.
Publication History
Issued as part of the Black Artists on Art publishing program, this original Contemporary Crafts edition reproduces H. Kofi Bailey's charcoal drawing African Series — Series 16.
The Black Artists on Art publishing program extended Dr. Samella Lewis's mission of making important works by Black artists more widely accessible through carefully produced archival publications. Today, surviving impressions from the original publication have become increasingly difficult to locate.
About the Artist
H. Kofi Bailey (1931–1981) was an influential American artist best known for his charcoal and conté drawings exploring African heritage, Black identity, and the human experience. Educated at Alabama State College, Howard University, and the University of Southern California, Bailey later lived and worked in Ghana, where his engagement with Pan-African thought profoundly shaped his artistic vision. Bailey believed representational art should communicate directly with people, and his sensitive portrayals of Black men, women, and children remain among his most enduring contributions to twentieth-century American art. His work is represented in major institutional collections including the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, the California African American Museum, and the Delaware Art Museum.
About the Publisher
For more than five decades, Contemporary Crafts, Inc., under the direction of Dr. Samella Lewis, collaborated with leading Black artists to publish, distribute, and preserve important works of American art.
Today, the Samella Lewis Publishing Archive continues this mission by offering original publications directly from the historic archive.
Product Details
Artist: H. Kofi Bailey
Title: African Series — Series 16
Series: Black Artists on Art — Series 16
Medium: Vintage Contemporary Crafts Offset Lithograph
Original Artwork: Charcoal drawing
Publisher: Contemporary Crafts, Inc.
Publication Period: Early 1970s
Dimensions: 15 × 22.25 inches
Condition: Archive condition; may show minor signs of age consistent with carefully stored vintage inventory.
Framing: Unframed
Documentation: Certificate of Authenticity included.
Availability
Offered directly from the Samella Lewis Publishing Archive. As original Contemporary Crafts publications enter museum, institutional, and private collections, the number of archive-held impressions continues to diminish.
Availability is therefore limited to the remaining original impressions preserved within the archive.
Shipping & Care
Each impression is individually inspected before shipment and carefully packaged using archival shipping materials.
Your print ships securely in a protective package and includes a Certificate of Authenticity issued by the Samella Lewis Publishing Archive.
Shipping timelines and return information are provided at checkout.