By John Obafemi Jones Beyond the Face: Why Many Black Artists Choose Abstraction Over Realism. As an artist, I’ve spent years studying the unspoken truths that live behind brushstrokes, color, and composition. Yet one question often surfaces in conversations about Black art: “Why do so many Black artists leave faces black or without detail?” It’s not a lack of technique. It’s a radical act of resistance, representation, and reclamation. When we omit facial details, we’re not