Tim O'Brien. This work represents the hard, dirty, work of building a better, brighter future. It takes time, coordination, but the beautiful results make the effort worth the struggle. Original piece is a 12” x 12” oil painting on panel. Sarah Kanu. With this collage, I wish to pay tribute and express gratitude for all the black artists, caregivers, and community workers actively building the better future we/I speak of here. Creating a world where all peoples are freed, where we do not rely on consistent labor to ensure we maintain a living on this planet. It is a world of abundant joy, understanding, compassion, and care. The three central panels of this piece represent growth, rest, and play, themes that are most present in the work I create for myself—full of depictions of nature and the outdoors, black ease, and mundane beauty and collectivity.
The overall composition surrounded by patterns akin to a quilt references artists such as Faith Ringgold, Betye Saar, and other current fine artists I admire who speak to the tradition of recalling and archiving history through craft and passing on knowledge to future generations.