By African-American artist Ronald Jackson, born 1970, Zipporah's Song, 2014, oil and fabric on wood, 36 × 36 in. (91.4 × 91.4 cm), DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities. #BlackHistoryMonth #blackart #blackartist #art

A quote from the artist’s website: “ The conceptual basis of my works (specifically narrative works) comes from a time of the past, whether 40, 60 or 100 years ago. The art world is heavily urbanized, and I do not produce urban art. Regardless of living in urban environments over the past 30+ years, I realize how my rural roots have shaped my value system and world view. The great American migration shifted millions of African Americans from the South to more industrialized cities which has produced millions of urban Black people having little personal reference to the rural existence of their ancestry. I have chosen not to become another urban artist, but nor will I produce works depicting rural life. My aim is to address contemporary issues through Black figuration but only from the backdrop of a non-urban environment. Therefore, I am not an urban artist.”

Who is Zipporah? She is Moses’ wife in the Book of Exodus. A very strange passage in the book: ‘But it came about at the overnight encampment on the way, that the Lord met Moses, and sought to put him to death. So Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and threw it at Moses’ feet; and she said, “You are indeed a groom of blood to me!” So He left him alone. At that time she said, “You are a groom of blood”—because of the circumcision.”’ ~ ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭4‬:‭24‬-‭26‬ ‭(NASB2020‬‬)

The artist’s website: https://www.ronaldjacksonartworks.com/about

The artist’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ronald_jackson_artworks/