Chloe Alexander

Chloe Alexander (aka The Hapless Printmaker) is an Atlanta based artist whose work has been gaining momentum this year. In addition to her growing career in the art gallery scene, Alexander is also a drawing and fashion design & illustration teacher at the high school level. Perhaps this is a large part of the reason that Alexander’s work often explores the power of imagination and innocence in childhood. Often using her own sons as the models for her work, Alexander portrays Black children in moments of quiet contemplation or engaged in simple games like Cat’s Cradle. Referring to her portrayals of Black children in a recent interview with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Alexander says, “They deserve to exist in a space that doesn’t have any political narrative. They can just be like everybody else.” source

Alexander brings a sense of exploration and imagination into her studio work as well. While her work is deeply rooted within the discipline of printmaking (lithography, relief and silkscreen are often her go-to methods), her combination of these methods and the painted and drawn elements are her unique signature. I imagine her studio space is quite the scene when she is in the middle of printing a new piece!

Discussion for Kids

• Which of Chloe Alexander’s works featuring children do you like most?

• In Army of One, what do you think the children in the foreground of the image are looking down at? Why?

• After looking at all the artworks above, do you notice common themes or colors?

• Take a careful look at each image. What story could you tell if this image was in a children’s book?