Najee Dorsey
Born in Blytheville, Arkansas, on January 26, 1973, visual artist and entrepreneur Najee Dorsey is known for embracing Southern roots in his work by relaying scenes of African American life in the South on canvas. In 2005, the Dorseys moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where Najee became a full-time artist. Since that time, Najee has become well acquainted with the trials and tribulations of most African American artists: the closed doors in the arts community, the lack of representation in art institutions, and the undervaluation of African American art and its creators by dominant society. Being the proactive individual that he is, Najee founded Black Art In America™ (BAIA) in 2010 as a free online media platform for African American artists, collectors, art enthusiasts, and arts professionals. In the company’s conceptual stages, influencers from BAIA’s audience were surveyed, and it became clear that their issues were centered on exposure, appreciation, and access to each other. BAIA™ was founded as a centralized location for profiling the African American artist–giving members of the network access to the work of African American artists (past and contemporary) and, most importantly, opportunities for interchange. Since 2010, the network has become the leading online portal and resource focused on African American art, artists, collectors, industry leaders, and arts enthusiasts. The BAIA™ online network currently has a monthly virtual reach of 750,000 people and growing.
As an artist, Najee Dorsey has developed much in his craft over the years and has become known for his mixed media collage, digital media collage images of little-known and unsung historical figures, as well as nostalgic scenes from African American life in the southern United States. In his work, as Najee chronicles moments in Black life throughout history, he maintains that “stories untold are stories forgotten.” Far from the days after dropping out of arts collegeand becoming uncertain about his future in the arts, Dorsey has forged a successful career as an artist, being featured in numerous solo and group museum shows, television broadcasts, and print publications–a major feat for any artist. Najee now lives in Columbus, GA with his wife, Seteria. More on the artist at www.najeedorsey.com.
Ten Things I Can’t Do Without
- Morning coffee
- Collecting art
- Meeting other collectors
- The people who show me love
- Downtime watching movies
- Unique hats
- Vintage photos
- Thrifting
- Black Art In America™
- Traveling