Ekua Holmes (born in 1955) is an American mixed-media artist, children's book illustrator, and arts organization professional.
Holmes' primary method of art making is mixed media collage, by layering newspaper, photos, fabric, and other materials to create colorful compositions.
With these scraps and remnants, assembled like a down-home quilt, I rebuild my world, putting in what speaks to my personal and cultural narrative.”[3]On Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 2015, Holmes's Google Doodle illustration honoring the civil rights leader was the featured image on Google's U.S. homepage.
A selection of works from her award-winning children’s book illustrations is on view at the MFA Boston as part of a 2021 solo exhibition titled, "Paper Stories, Layered Dreams The Art of Ekua Holmes".
Holmes' "Crosswalks and Bus Stops Archived 2017-02-23 at the Wayback Machine" was installed at Northeastern University, in oversize glass windows that faced onto Parker Street and Huntington Avenue.
The work was part of Northeastern's Public Art Initiative Archived 2019-01-22 at the Wayback Machine, a platform for artists from the local community and the world.