Flahn Manly ( b. 1988, Monrovia, Liberia.) is a Liberian native whose work focuses on freedom, hope, and social transformation. He creates works that reflects his life’s journey and spirit of his soul. As an artist, he has an affinity for creating bodies of work using subjects with dark skin tones. His work is often a response to the challenging portrayal of communities of color in society. “Media has often portrayed us as loud; aggressive; unattractive; evil; and most of all: undesirable. “ In his defense, he aims to create a depiction of Black men, women and children in the image of love, grace, honor and great stature as they navigate and conquer spaces and industries. Flahn believes his art is a powerful mode of expression because of its nonverbal quality that makes it as once direct and so tacit. He understands the importance of providing imagery that represents Blackness in a way that encompasses nobility and relatability.

Beauty, Strength, and Resilience

“As a contemporary artist specializing in figurative painting with a concentration on portraiture, my work typically focuses on capturing the beauty, strength, and resilience of primarily people of color. I aim to create engaging bodies of work that elicit love, light and positivity that brings people of all walks of life together. I truly believe unity creates change.”