𝑳𝒆𝒃𝒐𝒏𝒆⚜️

Document like you’ll be studied one day. These are my first few attempts of creating my Griot Glass Beads forged with the purpose of communicating inter-generational African Oral Storytelling! Why is there wire in the mouth and ear? I heat-fused them in to serve as connection points and visual cue of oral history translating to the first generations ear and out their mouth to the next generations ear and out their mouth! I made these works while studying with @kimfieldsglass at @pollackglassnola !!! Much love and gratitude for the opportunities I’ve been blessed with in these spaces!🚀 #neworleansglassartist #blackglassartist #beadtrade #whogonerunthecitynext?

What is a forever necklace? My opinion, an adornment that will endure the rest of time and identify you so long as you should wear it. This piece, “Inheritor of History”, identifies my position in history as an African American Glass Master and Creative. Early Summer of 2025 in the book The History of Beads presented by Lois Sherr Dublin pages 106 & 132 in Chapters “Age of European Expansion” and “Africa” I was confronted by record that European Glass Beads were traded for Enslaved Africans and the Bead Trade Market fostered and birthed the Slave Trade. As documented, this information called for a reformation of how I approach a medium that just centuries ago I a black man would’ve been traded for. It is in my best interests that every forward piece will acknowledge this history and the weight of my hand! The pendant is a black figure holding and protecting an egg. An image to the Sankofa, another symbol of acknowledging history! That symbol appears as a brass bead in this same piece! As well as Asa Se Ye Duru! The Weight of The World! Our figure after much literal trial by fire is one of honor, responsibility and ownership and leadership. The orange/yellow beads are Venetian King Beads! Traded to West African Kings for Enslaved Africans. The large Brass Bead THAT IS THE FIRST THING IVE EVER SOLDERED BTW is the symbol Nea Onnim! The Adinkra Symbol of knowledge and the life long pursuit of education! The large black head bead is among many in my catalogue. Is it the face of our ancestors. It’s symbol is the first thing I created after my learning of the records I mentioned. It represents those before me, before us. It is their piercing gaze and omnipotent guidance. I nod to the Krobo Beads in this piece as well as the Brass Filigree Baule Bead! A tribute to the diverse and authentic Bead Culture of Africa that passions me so! Shout out to @thebeadchest for being a great web of information that affirmed my research! #blackglassartist #neworleansglassworks no

Consistency! More Documentation and love of the game! These Glass Beads are more of my attempts of West African Griot Tradition! I’ve looking into basic video documentaries, understanding what royal orators these champions are! It led me to Ali Farka Touré & Toumani Diabaté’s Grammy winning “In The Heart Of The Moon”. Beautiful listen btw. The artists are Griots themselves! I believe moving forward I will investigate how Griot culture transfers over to African America and specifically to New Orleans. Merhaps the Blues. I’m proud of the advancements I’ve made as a whole and wish to continue! Also the tongue poking out is symbolic of oral story and language! #neworleansartist #blackneworleansculture #glassjewelry

I found MY work while I was researching topics for my next piece! In all seriousness this was a really cool find and I just wanted to make something silly to celebrate it!😂 Documented by: @kardegan #artistatwork

You’re looking at the UNO Fine Arts Graduates of 2026! Taking over all mediums, genres and topics of conversation in the creative community! We’re doing it BIG! Make way world! Documented by: @amya.renaee @altamira.zip @vlad_jones73

Opportunity is when Preparation meets Success! Set yourself up for Success! Cheers to 4 years of initiative, self-determination, self-exploration, to filling out my prerequisites to being a Globe Trotter and doubling down on my desire to live fully, freely and passionately as an actualized artist! I love you! You who supported me through this venture. I can’t wait to embark on my next. And I hope that along the way and upon my return I can inspire the following youth to invest in themselves as I have me! Documented by: @ebonymarieb @bloodsh.o.t @senecaapplechips & @amya.renaee #artistatwork

We walk the stage tomorrow🥹 #artistatwork #graduation #graduate2026

Me & my new piece, Nkisi Kofa! A transparent display of me and my work. This project was born from my purpose and my platform. It has challenged me so and thus poured so much into my growth as an artist and human being. This work is visible at the UNO Campus Gallery on Harwood Dr. Currently searching for a forever home that any (*cough *cough) art collectors would like to provide! Documented by: @bgeezybgeezy & @altamira.zip #artistatwork

Nkisi Kofa sculpture by Andre Lebone

THIS EVENING! We the Senior Arts Class of 2026 are having our Senior exhibition, “Horizons”! At the Fine Arts Department on UNO’s Campus you will find the student gallery full of work from every artist I co-sign! This event is held 6-8pm this evening, the gallery will be open to the public during campus hours afterward! Shout out to my best friends for setting up my work in my place. For context I am away with Roadtrip Nation for career establishment, going Hollywood if you wanna call it that! Ever since witnessing my brother’s first Senior Exhibition I’d always wanted to put on a show and it does upset me I can’t come. But I hope you can! Huge Shoutout to @sleepyday.co & @classifiedem for creating the flyer! Go network yall!

I wanted to charge/bless my Nkisi one last time before my trip across the country! I’m gone for a month so imma miss my work, but I’m excited cuz I get to bring back new concepts in response to have I’ve done here! #artistatwork

It is with a big fat smile on my face that I get to announce to everyone that I along with 2 other amazing artists, @ziona_385 & @circusseneca have been selected by @roadtripnation for their Arts for All Roadtrip! This is an opportunity where we will travel cross country with the incentive of interviewing Artists, Community Leaders, Culture Bearers and so forth. All the while investigating not if- but how Art is essential to all walks of life! After much preparation we begin our Roadtrip next week and I am overjoyed. I feel as though a chance has been taken on me, that with this platform I’ve been allowed a responsibility and a privilege at the same time. A privilege to have access to this once in a life time possibly career defining moment but also the responsibility to highlight what freedom and liberation do and do not look like in this country. I do this for my family, my friends, my city, my culture, my community, my identity, for the applicants who’s roles I fill, for my Roadtrip team, for the students and teachers that will witness my experience through an educational course and episodic PBS Documentary who I hope to enlighten and be conscious of and finally for myself who didn’t know if the hard work I began so long ago would’ve payed off. And paid off it did!