Bessie Harvey's Sham may not be a portrait of an actual person, but it has a powerful presence in the subjects angular features and penetrating gaze. In this work one can see the effect of Harvey's method of searching for a spiritual quality in natural materials such as roots and branches. Her approach to people goes beyond portraiture for its own sake; she is less concerned with resemblance to any individual than she is with communicating her desire for a cultural and spiritual link among all people of African descent.
