Mural Title: Fertility Pattern
Artist(s): Donna Jones
Original Location: Unknown
Date Painted: circa 1977
Visible Today?: Unknown
Photo Credit: Photograph printed in 1977 issue of Drum Magazine (Volume 7, Number 3)
Description: Fertility Pattern, painted in an unknown interior location, was executed by student artist Donna Jones under the direction of Nelson Stevens. The mural features examples of the ankh symbol, an Egyptian cross surmounted by a loop that signifies eternal life and protection. The ankh was a recurring motif throughout Stevens’ work and in works by other members of the AfriCOBRA collective. Stevens incorporated ancient and contemporary African imagery into his paintings and encouraged his students to explore heritage and history through the creation of Afrocentric artwork. By contributing to the creation of a distinctly Black aesthetic, Stevens and his students emphasized the importance of the African diaspora’s cultural inheritance.