Artwork copyright Angie Dixon. Photo courtesy of the artist.

African Drumming Rhythms, 1993

Angie Dixon
American (born 1953)

Location: Sheridan Elementary, Tacoma

About the Artwork

African Drumming Rhythms is part of a series of artworks by artist Angie Dixon that focus on the performing arts. Featuring bright colors and expressive strokes of Japanese sumi ink, the colors and shapes relate to rhythm and sound. The artist notes, “Drumming sounds are close to the heartbeat rhythm of life… The idea of the piece is that the drummer, the drum and the sounds are all one big rhythm that pulses with vitality and that by looking at it, a person participates in the rhythm as well.”

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Tacoma Public Schools.

About the Artist

Angie Dixon depicts her love of the Pacific Northwest in sumi paintings using traditional East Asian brush and ink techniques. Her interest in sumi ink painting began as an art student at the University of Washington in Seattle in 1975. She pursued graduate studies in fine art and art history in Hangzhou, China in 1984. She is based on Whidbey Island, in Northwestern Washington.