I created this piece in response to a call for artists to conceptualize an art piece that captures the history of slavery and forced labor. This was a partnership project with Empowerment Avenue and Legal Services for Prisoners with Children. This project holds personal significance for me as I am currently incarcerated within a prison system that perpetuates slavery through involuntary servitude.
The Involuntary Servitude Project aims to abolish slavery by way of forced labor within the California prison system, which served as the inspiration behind my painting. Despite being white, I chose to highlight the enslavement of the Black population to underscore the enduring presence of slavery, transitioning from the cotton fields of the Deep South to contemporary prison labor in California.
This artwork was commissioned for the End Involuntary Servitude Digital Media Campaign
