Joseph Osborne believes conversations between Black men can lead to greatness and unity in the African American community, and he believes the barbershop is the perfect representation of these important conversations to display through his art.

“My message is unity, to come together and strive to be great. That’s the whole reason why Grambling’s here, because we want greatness,” said Osborne, a senior visual and performing arts major at Grambling State University.

Osborne’s senior art exhibition, entitled No Heroes Noir: La Barbershop Conscience, was displayed at Dunbar Gallery from March 23 to April 9.

“My show is basically a conversation between two African American males discussing the issues that plague our community. The barbershop is like a place where Black men can go and talk freely. like the hair salon where women can go talk freely. The barbershop is really where any issue can be addressed and be said, out of the shoes on your feet, who played last night or something that happened on CNN,” said Obsorne.

His exhibition consists of 13 sculptures created using layers of plywood, repurposed wood and other materials. He was inspired by events affecting African Americans and how these events were re-interpreted in popular culture through music, television, news and movies.

In addition to his sculptures, Osborne also created short videos to give a “voice” to his barbershop conversations. His primary short video, entitled A Tale of Ten Nights, was inspired by elements of his father’s West Indian heritage. In particular, Nine-Nights, also known as “Dead Yard,” is a funeral tradition in the Caribbean, where an extended wake is held over several days.

The videos are the most powerful pieces in my show, because they actually give you a voice. A Tale of Ten Nights touches on the Caribbean aspect of my father’s ancestors who are West Indian,” Osborne said. “A Tale of Ten Nights is actually a version of our wake. So instead of one night, it’s ten nights of a wake. That video speaks of a young man who has been shot down. We don’t know who killed him, so it could have been the police or another African American man.”

Osborne will graduate with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Visual and Performing Arts with a concentration in Studio Art in May. After graduation, he plans to attend graduate school at Tulane University.