Blood of the Lamb, 2022
Cooper’s practice confronts the complexities of Black Southern identity—challenging dominant narratives and reclaiming the fragments of family history shaped by displacement and survival.
Darin Cooper (b. 2000, Newport News, Virginia) is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice examines the intertwined themes of family, lineage, and memory, particularly within the context of the African American diaspora in the American South. Now based in New York City, Cooper works across photography, painting, printmaking, and sculpture, often incorporating found materials that serve as conduits between past and present, connecting viewers to histories that are both intimate and collective.
Grounded in personal experience and Southern heritage, Cooper’s work challenges inherited notions of what a family is “supposed” to look like, resisting definitions rooted in whiteness. He addresses the erasure of Black family history as a consequence of slavery, while also engaging with the resilience, culture, and transformation of Black Southern life—drawing influence from cultural figures such as Andre 3000 and Allen Iverson, as well as from the broader textures of Southern identity. His art navigates mourning and memory alongside the endurance of cultural expression, presenting viewers with layered, emotionally charged spaces.
Cooper’s work has been presented in exhibitions at Bode Projects, Grove Collective, Seville Gallery, and Andrea Festa Fine Art. He has participated in residencies including The Macedonia Institute (New York) and is currently completing his BFA at the School of Visual Arts, where he is expected to graduate in 2023. He lives and works in New York City.