"A Good Thing" by Brandon Hawkins

Artist Brandon Hawkins
"A Good Thing"
Oil on Canvas
22.5" x 52.5" (framed)
 
This piece commemorates two enduring Black unions—Barack and Michelle Obama, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King—as reflections of Black love that is both intimate and world-shaping. By honoring these marriages, the work celebrates love as partnership, commitment, and shared purpose, while acknowledging the quiet strength, sacrifice, and devotion that sustain movements, families, and communities. Presented within the Black Wine Fest experience, the piece situates romance alongside ancestral legacy, affirming Black love as tender and powerful, personal and collective. It invites viewers to see love not only as affection, but as an act of care, endurance, and vision—one that nurtures joy, fuels change, and deserves to be witnessed, celebrated, and honored in all its forms.
 
Information about the Artist:
Brandon “Illzotic” Hawkins is a Cincinnati-based visual artist, educator, and creative director with over 20 years of experience rooted in community-centered artmaking. He holds a B.A. in African and African American Studies from the University of Cincinnati and a Fine Arts certificate from UC’s College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP). Brandon’s work is deeply informed by history, cultural identity, and storytelling, resulting in a distinctive style that blends visual narrative with social impact.
In 2016, Brandon and his wife, Ewaniki Moore-Hawkins, founded Soul Palette, an arts company specializing in murals, commissions, and immersive art experiences. He is a founding leader and Creative Project Director with Black Art Speaks, playing a central role in the historic Black Lives Matter murals and major public installations across Cincinnati. Brandon has led projects for ArtWorks Cincinnati, Fifth Third Bank, Cincinnati Public Schools, and the Duke Energy Convention Center. Through teaching, mentorship, and large-scale public art, his mission is to inspire, uplift, and empower communities through visual expression.