Unveiling the Past
This painting has been in my mind’s eye for at least 10 years and I wanted it to be one of storytelling, and the ways in which the past continues to shape cultural identity today. My painting resonates with Juneteenth in powerful ways—it visually captures themes of liberation, history, and transformation. The contrast between the two figures—one in color, one in grayscale—symbolize the transition from enslavement to freedom, much like how Juneteenth marks the moment when the last enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, learned of their emancipation in 1865.
The torn canvas effect suggests unveiling or breaking free, which mirrors the act of reclaiming history and identity. The presence of greenery and pink flowers hints at renewal and growth, reinforcing the idea that freedom is not just about the past, but about flourishing in the present. The smaller of the two torn areas of the canvas reflects my thoughts of Lumpkin's Jail, also known as "the Devil's Half Acre," was a notorious slave-trading complex in Richmond, Virginia, operating from the 1830s until the end of the Civil War. It was Richmond's largest slave-holding facility, owned by Robert Lumpkin, who bought and sold enslaved people throughout the South. The site was infamous for its brutal conditions, where enslaved individuals were confined before being sold.
The rose-colored glasses that she holds indicate a shift she is seeing the world as it truly is, rather than how she once wished to see it. This aligns with themes of awakening and uncovering hidden truths, much like the historical reckoning embodied in Juneteenth.
This painting has been in my mind’s eye for at least 10 years and I wanted it to be one of storytelling, and the ways in which the past continues to shape cultural identity today. My painting resonates with Juneteenth in powerful ways—it visually captures themes of liberation, history, and transformation. The contrast between the two figures—one in color, one in grayscale—symbolize the transition from enslavement to freedom, much like how Juneteenth marks the moment when the last enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, learned of their emancipation in 1865.
The torn canvas effect suggests unveiling or breaking free, which mirrors the act of reclaiming history and identity. The presence of greenery and pink flowers hints at renewal and growth, reinforcing the idea that freedom is not just about the past, but about flourishing in the present. The smaller of the two torn areas of the canvas reflects my thoughts of Lumpkin's Jail, also known as "the Devil's Half Acre," was a notorious slave-trading complex in Richmond, Virginia, operating from the 1830s until the end of the Civil War. It was Richmond's largest slave-holding facility, owned by Robert Lumpkin, who bought and sold enslaved people throughout the South. The site was infamous for its brutal conditions, where enslaved individuals were confined before being sold.
The rose-colored glasses that she holds indicate a shift she is seeing the world as it truly is, rather than how she once wished to see it. This aligns with themes of awakening and uncovering hidden truths, much like the historical reckoning embodied in Juneteenth.
This painting has been in my mind’s eye for at least 10 years and I wanted it to be one of storytelling, and the ways in which the past continues to shape cultural identity today. My painting resonates with Juneteenth in powerful ways—it visually captures themes of liberation, history, and transformation. The contrast between the two figures—one in color, one in grayscale—symbolize the transition from enslavement to freedom, much like how Juneteenth marks the moment when the last enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, learned of their emancipation in 1865.
The torn canvas effect suggests unveiling or breaking free, which mirrors the act of reclaiming history and identity. The presence of greenery and pink flowers hints at renewal and growth, reinforcing the idea that freedom is not just about the past, but about flourishing in the present. The smaller of the two torn areas of the canvas reflects my thoughts of Lumpkin's Jail, also known as "the Devil's Half Acre," was a notorious slave-trading complex in Richmond, Virginia, operating from the 1830s until the end of the Civil War. It was Richmond's largest slave-holding facility, owned by Robert Lumpkin, who bought and sold enslaved people throughout the South. The site was infamous for its brutal conditions, where enslaved individuals were confined before being sold.
The rose-colored glasses that she holds indicate a shift she is seeing the world as it truly is, rather than how she once wished to see it. This aligns with themes of awakening and uncovering hidden truths, much like the historical reckoning embodied in Juneteenth.
30” x 40”