Corey Barksdale's Pandemic Series: New Water
In times of chaos, art becomes a mirror — and a healer. Atlanta-based artist Corey Barksdale's "New Water" collection was born during one of the most uncertain chapters in modern history: the global pandemic of 2020–2021. This vibrant series speaks to transformation, resilience, Black identity, and the urgent emotional shifts communities experienced in isolation and upheaval.
A Colorful Testament to Black Resilience
Each piece in this series is a visual narrative layered with bold color, kinetic movement, and emotional complexity. Barksdale's signature palette of brilliant reds, vibrant blues, and kinetic oranges speaks directly to the heart. With swirling brushstrokes and abstracted figures, he captures not just faces, but stories: of Black families sheltering together, lovers seeking connection, individuals marching for justice, and spirits finding stillness.
This isn't just a chronicle of survival. It's a declaration of joy, pain, and perseverance.
Featured Works in the Collection
- Almost Like Being in Love — a celebration of connection and emotional intimacy, this piece highlights the fragile yet fierce bonds formed during uncertain times.
- Back Home Again — Tennessee — rooted in themes of home, heritage, and healing, this work pays homage to the Black South and the grounding comfort of familiar places.
- Me and My Shadow — an introspective piece exploring solitude, inner peace, and the duality of self experienced in isolation.
- Down by Law — powerfully expressive, this work evokes protest, truth-telling, and justice, symbolizing the pandemic's intersection with the Black Lives Matter movement.
- Magic Moments — this joyful canvas reminds us of the fleeting but beautiful moments that anchored us during the storm: family laughter, sunlight through windows, simple acts of love.
- Strength — Respect — Loyalty — a tribute to Black womanhood and power, celebrating the foundational role of women in holding families and communities together.
- Her African Heritage — Three Sisters in Charge — an uplifting portrayal of unity and shared leadership, this piece speaks to sisterhood, collective action, and cultural preservation.
- Alexa in Wonderland — whimsical and surreal, this piece reflects the wild imagination that helped many escape the confines of quarantine.
- Maybe You'll Be There — spiritual and reflective, this artwork examines hope and faith in reconnection, love, and the future.
- Come Fly with Me — soaring with motion, this image captures the longing to break free, both metaphorically and physically.
- Slamm'in On the World — an explosion of rhythm and resistance, this powerful canvas channels anger, hope, and energy into a bold visual beat.
- Another POP Star — Papa Was a Rolling Stone — referencing Black musical legacies, this painting is a soulful tribute to fathers, funk, and the generational echoes of Black culture.
- What is Love — deeply personal and emotionally raw, this painting questions what it means to love in the face of isolation, fear, and longing.
- YES! — a visual affirmation: loud, unapologetic, unbreakable. YES to life, YES to love, YES to being seen.
- That's My Heritage — a proud reflection on identity, ancestry, and survival, this painting proclaims Black history as a living, breathing inheritance.
- FIGHT! — a rallying cry that blends protest and poetry, reminding us that survival isn't passive: it's fierce, active, and beautiful.
About the Artist
Corey Barksdale is one of Atlanta's most prominent African American visual artists. His murals grace public spaces across the city, from the Atlanta Beltline to prominent institutions and galleries. With a background in fine art and illustration, Corey's style blends figurative storytelling, jazz-influenced abstraction, and socially conscious themes rooted in the Black experience.
During the pandemic, Corey's work evolved even further, embracing introspection, isolation, spiritual reflection, and reimagined joy. The "New Water" collection is more than a series of paintings; it's a time capsule of survival, Black identity, cultural memory, and radical hope.
Own a Piece of History
Select pieces from the "New Water" collection are available for purchase. Whether you're a collector, gallery owner, or individual looking to bring emotional depth and cultural expression into your space, Corey Barksdale's pandemic series offers timeless reflections and contemporary power.
To inquire about original paintings or prints, email clow2ground@gmail.com or call/text 615-601-2787 for availability and pricing.
