As an artist, Eugene is responsible to his community, which begins with being honest to himself. Several years ago, he stepped back from his work to realize it was not telling his own story. He realized he was being guarded with his art and not letting anyone else in. Recently his work has organically become more personal. He realized a lot of concerns he felt were shared among other men, primarily that of need to appear strong. With his work he addresses topics such as misplaced masculinity and given the alternatives of what is really strong and weak. According to Eugene, it is not time to change the narrative of what a man is, but to add to it and enhance the definition. His work provokes emotion and asks the viewer to contemplate and work and leave with a residue.
EuGene V Byrd III | 2024
As a Black father, EuGene V Byrd III has set out to create pieces that reflect the most important source of inspiration in his life — his daughter. Work in Progress: A Honest Look at Fatherhood addresses issues rooted in centuries of slavery, systematic racism, mass incarceration, and unemployment, while also giving a personal look into the struggles Byrd III has had during his own fatherhood journey (including maintaining a healthy relationship with the mother of his child and understanding the evolving space of gender norms). His work also explores his own experience as a son, and the effect having a father who didn’t always have time to spend with him had on his later role as a parent. Each painting in the series represents a moment frozen in time, capturing an experience or emotion that comes with being a father and will be public from the beginning of the work until the end. By sharing the work-in-progress of each piece, Byrd III hopes to mirror the work-in-progress mentality fathers should take on — embracing vulnerability, learning from failure, prioritizing progress over perfection, and celebrating the process. This work is about redefining what art means to Byrd III, while also teaching others to embrace that we are all works in progress and we can continue to grow and improve every step of the way.