Drummer Man

This dynamic painting by Lakeem Wilson captures the soulful energy and rhythmic precision of Black musical tradition. Titled Keep the Time (2025), the piece focuses on the torso and hands of a drummer mid-performance, dressed in a golden-brown jacket that echoes the warmth of jazz club lighting. The viewer is drawn into the action—drumsticks raised in motion, poised over vibrant blue and multicolored drums, a hi-hat and cymbal glinting with sound and significance.
By omitting the drummer’s face, Wilson shifts the emphasis to the expressive movement of the hands and the physicality of musicianship. The cropped composition and lush, deep burgundy background evoke the intimacy of a live performance, allowing the viewer to feel the pulse, the swing, and the improvisational spirit that drives the beat. A single drip of white paint—intentional and raw—adds a sense of immediacy and artistic spontaneity.
Keep the Time pays homage to the legacy of Black drummers as cultural timekeepers—those who carry history, memory, and innovation through rhythm. Wilson’s work here celebrates music not only as performance but as storytelling, resistance, and soul.