09/02/2026
🆕 NEW ARTWORK — “PASSION”
Vinson “Sheku” Irby
Oil on Canvas | 32 Ă— 42 inches
Passion captures an intimate moment between two figures embraced in warmth and affection. Set against a fiery red background, Sheku Irby uses bold color, elongated forms, and intertwined bodies to express desire, vulnerability, connection, and the depth of human emotion.
With their eyes closed and bodies fluidly intertwined, the couple appears completely immersed in one another—as if the outside world has temporarily disappeared.
The vibrant palette and rhythmic composition create a powerful celebration of Black love, intimacy, and the universal language of human connection.
About the Artist
Vinson “Sheku” Irby is a Washington, D.C.–area artist and longtime art educator whose work explores culture, history, identity, relationships, and the human experience through expressive figurative imagery.
A native Washingtonian and graduate of the University of the District of Columbia, Irby studied Elementary Art Education and has taught art in Washington, D.C. and Fairfax County public schools. His experience as both an artist and educator informs a practice that embraces vibrant color, expressive forms, mixed media, texture, and storytelling.
His work is represented among the artists featured by TAW African Art Gallery.
“Passion” — a celebration of connection, intimacy, and Black love.
