If you know the value then the choice is easy. For a long time when I spoke to my white friends about racism their responses would be silence coupled with blank stares. I learned quickly that bringing up race issues to my friends would prove to be fruitless. Either they did not know what to do with this information or my struggles had no value in their eyes. So I decided to be silent in those issues when I was around them.

The George Floyd protests in 2020 was the first time an event not personally related to me affected my work. Usually my work is influenced by internal struggles. As I watched the protests unfold, I could not help but be influenced by what I saw. I saw multiple white people fighting for the equality of African Americans. It was a sight I had never seen before. Not just white people but people of all races marching in protests. Not just marching, bleeding from the rubber bullets, bruised by batons, and handcuffed. I was moved. In response I felt like my voice had value. My life had value. I felt listened to. They knew the value of African Americans and their choice was to fight for equality.

Because of their choice I chose to honor the people who fought for the equality by painting their portraits with the mediterranean halo. In the tradition of western art the halo is an iconic element that creates value in the eyes of the viewer. But in actuality, it is the individual that has value. The halo alone is just a circle. The individual creates value for this circle. We are all equal. We are all valuable.

Contact:

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