Charly Palmer is The Authentic Alchemist

Contemporary Art’s Most Compelling Voice

Charly Palmer stands as one of contemporary art’s most compelling voices, weaving together Southern Heritage, spiritual practice, and unflinching social commentary across a distinguished career spanning over three decades. Born in Alabama and shaped by summers spent with family in the Deep South, Palmer’s artistic vision is deeply rooted in ancestral wisdom and the African American experience. His work transcends mere aesthetic beauty, serving as both historical documentation and prophetic commentary – much like the jazz legends he admires, from Charles Mingus to John Coltrane, whose innovations remained ahead of their time yet eternally relevant.

Investing in artists like Palmer means more than acquiring beautiful objects, it means supporting truth-tellers who channel spiritual energy into visual narratives that challenge, heal, and inspire. Palmer’s approach to art as a vessel for ancestral voices and social awakening demonstrates why collecting work by living artists is crucial – each piece becomes a tangible connection to pivotal moments in cultural history. When collectors support artists who fearlessly address systemic issues while celebrating Black excellence and resilience, they participate in preserving and amplifying essential stories that might otherwise be overlooked. Palmer’s intentional focus on uplifting his community through art exemplifies how supporting diverse artists enriches not just personal collections, but the broader cultural conversation.

An Ancestral Connection to the South

You were born in Alabama and grew up in Wisconsin. How did being born in The South influence your creativity?

“I think that, in general, it may go all the way back to slavery. Our roots are strong as African Americans and in the South. It has always been this sense of coming home to all of these negative things that have taken place and continue to take place, but it’s always felt like home for me. In fact, being born in Alabama, and then spending every summer, until I was 14 years old, with my cousins and grandparents, I always had an affinity/connection to it. So, I’m rooted in the South. That’s why I intentionally, when it came to my career later on, wanted to go back south.”

You are a renowned artist with a career spanning over three decades. Why did you decide to stay in Atlanta versus other cities like New York or Los Angeles? What charm does this city have that you cannot find elsewhere?

“[Atlanta] feels enough like the South that I can accept it. I see growth, I see success, I see Black people moving in ways I’ve never seen anywhere else. But, with not so much of the hustling, nonstop movement you might see in New York. I’ve seen in the place that I came from in Milwaukee, Wisconsin there were some successful Black people but many almost accepted an attitude of defeatism. That you’re never going to succeed. I was just not of that mentality. I was very much about, ‘If it’s not here in Milwaukee, it’s somewhere and I’m going to see where that is.’ Honestly, what brought me to Atlanta initially, was when the Olympics came. When the Olympics came, I’m like, ‘I want to be a part of this. I don’t know how, but I’m going to be a part of it.’ I think if I had spent too much time trying to figure out how it was going to happen, I probably would never have gone.”

Palmer on the Spirit vs. Intention

Let’s talk more about your approach to art. Are you a flow of consciousness artist or do you approach each canvas with intention?

“Honestly, there’s a spirit part of everything that I do. It becomes more of a challenge when I’m doing commission work or if I’m doing a children’s book or something because there are times when I’m creating something that is pulling me in a certain direction, and I’ve learned as a creative person sometimes to go in that direction. But there are times when the client might not connect with that or understand that or want to revise. The longer I’m on this earth, the more I’ve determined to go with the Spirit. There is also the necessity of having some background understanding and that’s why I’m such an advocate of getting an education because the more you know, the more you can challenge.”

Constantly Moving as an Artist

It’s important to incorporate rest into your life especially as an artist, especially as someone working with the Spirit, do you have a wellness practice to help sustain your creative vision?

“I do and I do terrible at practicing it simply because I’m constantly moving. I’m constantly doing something even when I don’t have to because it’s just been the nature of me. What I’m enjoying right now is where my wife and I go to every year. We’re in a very quiet peaceful place around woods, trees, and the wind is blowing right now and it’s just peaceful and it almost forces you to be still. For me, it’s hard but with this time it’s like I go back to Atlanta rejuvenated. I go back ready to take on the craziness of this world. When we come to the Vineyard, we’ve stepped out of that world of constant pace. We truly recognize the blessing of being able to experience this. And we’re often saying that we want more of our family and friends to come and see this and feel this and experience this. Because what they’ve heard is an experience, something you can really see, it’s something that I promise you will feel and we feel very connected to our ancestors here.”

Authenticity as an Artistic Vessel

How do you encourage others to tend to their mental health and is this necessary to serve as an artistic vessel?

“I absolutely feel that this is definitely necessary. I think when you are a creative person, whether you’re a writer, musician, a visual artist, or a dancer, you are your best self when you get out of your way, and you acknowledge that there’s an energy flowing through you. That’s the ancestors. Those are you people. The spirit is when the best stuff comes out and I’ve learned that the hard way but fortunately, I’ve been practicing that for over 20 years now and I’m still in awe at some of the things that come through me. But it’s all very necessary to be grounded. With a friend of mine, we talk about it all the time, he would say try to take your shoes off and go out there in the yard and touch a tree or embrace a tree. It grounds you and there are scientific studies proving that energy is real. It’s so necessary. And it’s so weird when you think about it, I would say most of the people in this world, most of the people in this country, don’t do that. It’s like they don’t touch the soil or the grass or the trees and I’m learning that with the times going on that is such a necessary part of being authentic, being real, and giving your best self.”

Producing Timeless Artwork

In the past, you’ve paired your work with American iconography, how does this extend beyond propaganda?

“Propaganda has a negative connotation to me. This is the truth. It’s like, even in The Matrix, it’s this idea that when you are awake intentionally or when you choose the red pill, you begin to see the world, and every aspect of the world differently. I’m never going to suggest or imply that I’m more awake. But, it is true being obedient to the Spirit you’re going to produce things that, at times do not even make sense to you but it makes sense to the whole or people are moved and will connect to it. But, they may not connect to it for ten years. I’m always referencing someone like Charles Mingus, jazz legend, that was ahead of his time. When someone’s ahead of their time, whether it’s a Basquiat or a Charlie Parker or John Coltrane, it’s something that could be visited ten years later and it’s still fresh and new. Stevie Wonder’s ‘Songs in the Key of Life’ is still fresh and new because they tapped into some truth. That is the awareness of being aware. Stevie Wonder addressed, in ‘Living for the City,’ police treatment towards the black body 40 years ago. It’s not new and most of these things aren’t new. When Black people slow down and start to pay attention to their surroundings, they become aware of things that have always been there.”

“I Feel Like an Art Producing Machine”

Is there a defining moment that keeps you in pursuit of your creative endeavors even when you are exhausted?

“My wife asked me the other day, ‘When was the last time you enjoyed painting?’ and I’ve been moving so quickly, it didn’t dawn on me that it’s been minute. It’s been a minute because I’ve been on deadline. I’ve been working, working, working, trying to finish this work for this show or trying to finish this children’s book. It’s like now I’m just like a producing art machine, and I’ve lost the life and the joy of it. Which goes back to one of your earlier questions, I have intentionally paused from painting. This may seem like nothing, but I haven’t painted in three weeks. That’s understanding that I paint almost every day. I got to the point, where at times, I get uncomfortable and feel I should be painting. But not, when it comes to the idea of intentionally, I won’t paint until I clearly know what the next message is going to be. So, that doesn’t mean I haven’t been writing or making notes of concepts and ideas but until I say, ‘I know,’ I won’t go back to the canvas.”

Channeling African Ancestry in a Multiracial World

On your website, you note that you are a self-proclaimed extremist when it comes to the love of Black people. Why is it important to channel African ancestry through your art in a multiracial world?

“There’s a book that I’m really pushing called Sky Full of Elephants by Cebo Campbell. What I love about this book is it poses a question and it’s not something that anybody, other than Black people, has to think about. Who and what would you do and be different if there were no white people? Sometimes we use that as an excuse for our failures. If you were given the freedom to not have to think about the white gaze and anything you’re doing and just be. What would you do with that? Would you be very intentional about your community and doing things that way? Or how would you move? That book really had me spending a lot of time with that. My daughter, when she was about 14 once said, ‘You hate white people!’ And I said, ‘No, sweetie I don’t What I do is I love Black people with all of my energy. To spend time hating, it’s a waste of my energy and it takes too much work. So, I try to focus all my energy on the upliftment, the inspiration, the love and the protection of Black people. With no apologies. I don’t want anybody else to feel left out. My focus is Black people and what can I do to better us. I’m very intentional about that. I think I have every right to be very intentional about us.”