Radicals and Revolutionaries

My work commemorates the legacies of civil rights leaders, revolutionaries, and inspiring individuals who gave their lives for a cause, who went to war with governments, institutions, or any vehicle of oppression that stood in their way. I aim to ensure that their contributions, from the understudied to the highly recognized, are not forgotten or systematically erased in history.

Many of the people I portray were born with seemingly insurmountable hardships, such as Detroit Red, a street hustler who landed in prison and transformed himself into Malcolm X while there. I aspire to continue in his struggle, and draw on art and the legacy of portraiture as a street hustle and survival method to do so. I began creating portraits as a way to pass the time and earn money outside of my prison’s exploitative practices (in my facility, incarcerated workers are paid $20/month), but quickly learned of art’s healing and liberatory capabilities.

In my larger creative practice, I look to the work of the late Dr. Margaret T. Burroughs, who cofounded the DuSable Museum of African American History in Chicago. Dr. Burroughs visited Stateville Correctional Center every week so myself and other incarcerated folks could have access to an artistic space. She didn’t teach or demonstrate anything but always encouraged us, and I was lucky to be in her sphere for several years. Her dedication, patience, and humility gave me a new way to express myself and inspired me to mentor younger artists inside. After my release, I plan on continuing to give back to my communities through art and peer mentorship.

Many thanks to The Puffin Foundation for believing in my work.