ABOVE PHOTO: Amir Lyles with paintings
By Kendall Alexander
@SteezieKBreezie
“When I do a series of paintings, I approach it like an album, each piece is a single,” says self-taught artist Amir Lyles in the back room of his florid gallery named S.O.N. A.R.T.
Since December 2014 the gallery has made 7122 Germantown Avenue its home and leaves visitors anxious to return.
Look anywhere on the walls and your eyes are enticed by bold images of musicians, civil rights leaders, or ordinary people surviving. Roots music coming from in-house DJ Osiris’ turntables take sweet smelling incense helps you enjoy the Son Art experience—an experience owners Amir Lyles and Naeemah Patterson are honing daily.
“Leave your reservations at the door,” Lyles said. We’re not by those books, we’re by our books. We do it the way we do it.
The name of the gallery is an acronym for “Something Out of Nothing, A Revolutionary Talent,” chosen before Patterson gave birth to their twin daughters. Patterson endorses the space, encouraging Lyles to make the space universal for all talent.
“We have opened the space up for small, private events and poetry readings,” he said. The events that get people in, Amir will do food for the event.” The couple is steadily making plans to serve more than thought-provoking visual art.
“The goal of the space is a vegan café,” Patterson says.
Raising five children with healthy appetites, Lyles said he is already a short-order cook, so he wanted to take some of his ideas from his kitchen and spread them onto the plates of the neighborhood. Their household practices an Ital diet—everything plant based and minimal to no sugar. If they go out to eat, oftentimes they are disappointed in the lack of variety. When successful, the portions are diminutive and expensive. This is why they believe a vegan café on this side of the city would work—healthier options for Germantown and Mt. Airy residents to enjoy. “Whenever we go out to eat, we have to leave this area [Germantown]. The neighborhood would definitely support a vegan cafe if it were here. We want to make food that regular people like, except vegan.” When compared to vegan chain Hip City Veg, their response was swift. “It’ll be blacker, tastier, less expensive and broader in terms of the menu.” And boy do they have one! “We’ve had it [the menu] planned and printed for years,” he said. We have a whole Southwestern menu, a whole Asian menu, a soul food menu, a Caribbean menu. If anyone wants to come invest in a kitchen, we are more than happy to look into that.”
Their Eyes Were Watching God, Amir Lyles ‘06 4×4 mixed media
Since the space was once an eatery, there is room for a kitchen in the back. After looking at other spaces, Lyles believes Germantown Avenue was meant for their establishment. Paces from S.O.N. Art is African owned shop Sandaga, dedicated to intricate Senegalese fabrics, clothing and jewelry. The pairing would make any conscious person shiver with pride. Son Art is right on time and just what the neighborhood needed in terms of community collective. Plus the art is so beautiful.
This is their first business venture, so the couple wants to take their time and do things correctly. Lyles makes sure he maps out his visions, and constantly moves forward. Both Lyles and Patterson are so warm, gracious, and willing to hear creative concepts for the gallery. “I’m learning this [business] as I go,” he said. I’ve seen my artwork, I’m tired of it. I’m open to new ideas so whatever you wanna bring we can try it out.”
Oronde Kairi was the inaugural artist to bring ideas, debuting with the gallery in January. “A really nice palette in a happy hand,” Kairi said his artistic style has been described. “I just like to have a lot of fun doing my work. When you look at it, I want you to be happy.” The Mt. Airy native and UArts graduate calls his art exaggerated and factually so as the pieces on display have a flair that is a caricature meets Ernie Barnes blend. He is a series-oriented painter, and this is reflected through his pieces. Although Kairi and Lyles have different styles of painting, their sensibilities align, making collaboration in the space easy.
While the artists don’t want their work to be categorized into one outlet, although a large portion is rooted in African American and African culture.
“It’s no way around it, I’m black before anything and I’m an artist so I do black art. Growing up in Harlem in the early 70s it’s a different world, its little Africa out there so in art the first thing to come out is Afrocentric,” Lyles said.
Lyles describes his style as visual hip hop, raised in an era when the genre started breaking ground. Both artists have wide interests and have been commissioned to paint more than black art, with Lyles painting the Pope and MLK for a buyer recently.
S.O.N. Art is a quaint, bright, and warm environment where creatives of all avenues can come enjoy collaboration from inspiring, like-minded artists. The space is great for small performance events. In various communities, Lyles heard from elders that he should continue on his quest and keep doing what he is doing to raise awareness and keep black imagery in the for front of people’s minds, and every day he embodies that request. Make plans or walk-in, the S.O.N. Art experience is open for all to bask in.
Leave a Comment