Gallery Description

The gallery's ongoing work represents a historic and unprecedented set of collaborations between currently and formerly incarcerated people with members of the Boston University community. 

The three gallery components are outlined below. 

Featured Artists

 Currently and formerly incarcerated artists and activists we have featured and engaged with throughout this project.
​
(You can learn about more artists using the artists tab at the top of the page.)

Original Responses

​Original artworks responding to stories, conversations, and artworks of our featured artists in order to honor & illuminated their stories and reflect upon systems of injustice. 

6 word memoirs 

Throughout the gallery you will see responses from our participants in the form of the "six word memoirs" that are reflecting on the featured artists' stories and justice in America. 

​FEATURED COLLABORATORS

Click on each image to be taken to each artists' page, each with a bio & samples of their artistic work. 
top row L-R: Wayland "X" Coleman, Armand Coleman, Truth 
bottow row L-R: Amos Don, Truth, Emmanuel "Noble" Williams

What is the point of "justice" if not to heal? 

INN-MATE 
by VonDerrick Taylor 
​​in response to all featured artists

INN-MATE is a bridge to the voiceless within the criminal legal system, carrying their story further than it can reach from inside. It is an inner reflection of emotion & feelings towards how the world's view of the term "inmate" is deemed as a barbaric animalistic phrase. It is also a call to action for peace and humane freedom for those who are seen as if they were the villains in a horror movie, within this American Horror Story. Lastly, it is stripping the layers of the word inmate & growing a more honest raw truth for ourselves & the progression towards change. ​

Silenced
​by Chloe Hannum & Elie Mencke
​​in response to Wayland "X" Coleman

 This collaborative collage was an effort to convey the idea that convicts are regular, loving and feeling people in our everyday lives just like anyone else. Most of the time, they are humans just trying to get by, persevere in the face of adversity in a world that works against them each day. They are mothers, teachers, neighbors. The large digital image of the cuffed hands emphasizes the emotions that boil inside the cell; anger, frustration, sadness, regret, longing. Incarcerated individuals have as much of a right to say what they want and express themselves as anyone else, and this little poem I wrote is a reflection on their inability to do so.

It Rained Today 
by Judith Morrison 
​​in response to Amos Don

I am a Melbourne poet. Much of what I write concerns injustice wherever it happens. 

Who Are You?
​by RuQuan Brown
​​in response to all featured artists

I deserve love. Growing up between the West Coast, South, and the East Coast I have seen the absence of love in families and communities all over. Although an astute academic who earned offers from 7/8 Ivy League colleges, during college I started to express America’s need for love through art.

​I create visual and verbal pieces to grow the Kingdom of Love. I know that if we make love our God we will experience a religion of peace, truth, justice, and safety. My art serves as vehicles that deliver love to the masses, proliferating the Love Kingdom.

Untitled 
by Annonymous 
​​in response to Truth's poem, "Ruminations of A Rogue Poet" 

A small unglazed ceramic figure of a seated angel with their wings partially spread and their head tilted down in introspection. A black hammered steel wire form, similar to a ribcage, contains the space in front of their bowed head, down to their lap and wraps around their shoulders. The poem's articulation of this idea: acute awareness of the space that a sacred life should take up, the expansive holiness of a human self, and the smallness of the space which is allowed to a person who has been dehumanized, was where this sculpture originated. I saw in this poem not just self-reflection, but a meticulous reflection on the act of self-reflection, and the awareness of the trap that this can set for us in our minds.

Steal their freedom, silence their dissatisfaction

One Second Sunset
​by Kelly Chen
​​in response to Wayland "X" Coleman 

This poem was inspired by the idea that people in prison miss out on so many things that people outside of prison take for granted. The imagery of a sunset and the nature metaphors reference the way that incarcerated people are deprived of contact with nature.

Untitled 
by Chloe Hannum, Aidan Krow, & Amalia Kousta
​​in response to Noble

Our collage was inspired by the stories we had heard from Noble. We used imagery, motion, color, and drawings to depict symbols of his life ranging from hardship to hope. This piece can be interpreted differently for everyone but for us we used the lanterns and mountains to show hope and imagination, we demonstrated a hand as if it was reaching out for more, the inclusion of an upside down blurred person to represent confusion in solidarity. The words found around the piece spell out dehumanized and the caged flowers is like caged beauty.

"The Window Into Tomorrow"
Poetry by Amos Don 
Curation by Amos Don, Trey Littlejohn, & Anonymous

As a team, we corresponded across prison walls to create a public display of poetry by Haitian poet Amos Don. We wanted to use access to art-making resources to simply display the words that may not otherwise appear writ large in public spaces. We animated this poem by Amos Don and projected it into the floor-to-ceiling ground-floor windows on Comm Ave, in the heart of the city and Boston University. The performance took place for approximately 90 minutes the night of April 24, 2022. ​

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of a cure
​by Grant Weaver
​​in response to Truth & Amos Don

Prevention is the best cure to crime and problems in life.

 Post Traumatic Growth
by Elise Felker
​​in response to Armand

This photograph is in response to conversation had with Armond. The phrase "Post Traumatic Growth" came up during our conversations, and I used that to create this piece. I was particularly affected by Armonds experience with solitary confinement, weaponized strip searches, and the importance of community during his time incarcerated, and when he was released. This piece is a comment on the expectation to grow, as your shadows take the shape of your past experiences.

Wayland Coleman speaks truth to the people
​by DeAnza A. Cook & Leah Murty
​​in response to currently & formerly incarcerated artists

This spoken word affirms the revolutionary power of Wayland Coleman's truth-telling artwork. Harkening back to the fated words of Malcolm X: "[History] is on the side of the oppressed today, it's against the oppressor. Truth is on the side of the oppressed today, it's against the oppressor.

...between the...
by Christopher Robinson
​​in response to Truth

"... between the ..." Self Portrait.
​This self portrait is my attempt to marry my personal experience with mental illness incarceration with an image of myself in an iconic pose and incarcerated state. The title, "...between the..." is a fill in the blank type of phrase framing. The viewer is free to insert meaning into the "blanks." I find it troubling that capitalist society straddles the line of Injustice awareness raising and exploitation and marketing of the murdered, incarcerated, and oppressed. Every other day seems like a fill in the blank headline exercise. Incarcerated people often end up becoming nameless and blended into one monolithic icon of martyrdom.

"Arts, weapons wielded for our self-preservation"

Metamorphosis
​by Kelly Chen, Sarah Knotts, Aidan Krow
​​in response to Truth & Ian Manuel

This spray paint stop motion piece is titled “Metamorphosis” because it represents the transition of finding some level of freedom from prison’s confines. While creating this piece, our team was inspired in part by the story of Ian Manuel, who described using his imagination to deal with being in solitary confinement. Even though he was trapped, he was still able to use his imagination freely. We tried to show this concept of freedom through the sprawling vines and blooming flowers emerging from behind the bars. Additionally, we were struck by the way that Truth was so sure of himself in his interviews. He stated many times that, although prison tried to erode his humanity, he still had great respect and reverence for himself. We attempted to show the idea that prison cannot trap someone’s spirit through the birds in flight depicted in our piece, as well as the image of a seed continually growing despite its constraints. ​

Hearts
by Leah Murthy
​​in response to Restorative Justice & Armand Coleman

Unlike a perpetual cycle of imprisonment, restorative justice can encourage healing to take place.

Untitled 
​​by Kelly Chen & Treyton Littlejohn
​​in response to Noble & Blandine

We made a work that speaks to the degradation of an individual and their rights while incarceration. While we can not understand or fully grasp what that experience is like, speaking face to face with individuals who have gone thru that experience was humbling. Our piece is an offering to them and the experience they endured. Kelly made the painting and Trey made a scratch, cut or burn in the piece every hour over the course of a couple days to encapsulate and speak to the drawn out process of degradation. This spray paint stop motion piece is titled “Metamorphosis” because it represents the transition of finding some level of freedom from prison’s confines. While creating this piece, our team was inspired in part by the story of Ian Manuel, who described using his imagination to deal with being in solitary confinement. Even though he was trapped, he was still able to use his imagination freely. We tried to show this concept of freedom through the sprawling vines and blooming flowers emerging from behind the bars. Additionally, we were struck by the way that Truth was so sure of himself in his interviews. He stated many times that, although prison tried to erode his humanity, he still had great respect and reverence for himself. We attempted to show the idea that prison cannot trap someone’s spirit through the birds in flight depicted in our piece, as well as the image of a seed continually growing despite its constraints. ​

Untitled
by Leila Bower
​​in response to Truth

This is my very first animation inspired by hearing Truth's passionate poetry and discourse on the arts as a healing practice and a discussion on restorative justice in which our guest told us of his 12 years in solitude and his anger that prison only served to make worse.



F* the Cupcake
​​by RuQuan Brown
​​in response to all featured artists

I deserve love. Growing up between the West Coast, South, and the East Coast I have seen the absence of love in families and communities all over. Although an astute academic who earned offers from 7/8 Ivy League colleges, during college I started to express America’s need for love through art.

​I create visual and verbal pieces to grow the Kingdom of Love. I know that if we make love our God we will experience a religion of peace, truth, justice, and safety. My art serves as vehicles that deliver love to the masses, proliferating the Love Kingdom. ​

Truth Rises
by Jennifer Harrison
​​in response to Truth

A man named Truth inspired me to think about the cages we create for others and the ways in which they might find freedom. Truth may be living behind bars, but he finds moments of freedom in his poetry.

Untitled
​​by Sarah Knotts, Aidan Krow, & Chloe Hannum
​​in response to Noble & Blandine

We wanted to emphasize the brutality faced by those in the prison system. We wanted to contrast this with knowing that despair can be fought with knowing there is hope for freedom.​

"Brutality for centuries, not society's trash."

A society, Two Men, A cage
by Jess Tovey
​​in response to Wayland "X" Coleman

This poem was written in response to artwork and spoken word by Wayland Coleman.

​After I wrote this poem I read it to a friend of mine without context, and they told me it reminds them of when they go to visit their brother who is jail. They told me that when they go to visit their brother, the brother is placed in something that resembles an outdoor dog cage with chicken wire wrapped so thickly on the outside that it obstructs the view. They said that they aren’t able to see each other very well from the inside/outside of the cage, and it very much feels intentional from the jail; they don’t want society looking in, and they don’t want incarcerated people looking out. I hadn’t even known about my friend’s experience prior to writing the poem, and that reminded me of how common this experience is, and how important it is to start looking inwards- especially when we’re told not to.

Untitled
​​by Aidan Krow & Trey Littlejohn
​​in response to Wayland "X" Coleman

 The water droplet explains how writing allows people to be free. ​

 Soul Reflection
​by Amalia A. Kousta
​​in response to Truth

I was inspired by Truth when he said that he “makes sense through art.” We do the same in my culture by reading the coffee cup. He really helped me realize how art is the glasses you need to review your life and see the issues or blessings that are already there. Art is a reflection of your soul, either when you create it or perceive it.
​

Making Chain
​​by Anonymous
​​in response to Wayland "X" Coleman

This poem was a response to Wayland X Coleman's drawing of a chained figure--I wrote to investigate the metaphor of our social conditioning, our complicity in inaction causing and continuing the cycle of oppression.

Untitled
​​by Kelly Chen & Anonymous
​​in response to Candice Price & Catherine Jones

This piece was an audio and visual response created with the intent to amplify the words of two storytellers, specifically their statements affirming their identities as growing, healing individuals with agency. 
​
​click the above image to watch the video on YouTube

Shackles
​​​by Elise Felker
​​in response to Wayland "X" Coleman

After exploring use of the word "humanization" in Wayland's poem, I was lead down a path a researching the horrific experience of pregnancy for the incarcerated. The use of chains in this painting is comment on the practice of shackling women during labor.

"Healing connection creates change, not punishment."

Unlearning
​​by Amalia Kousta & Sarah Knotts 
​​in response to Wayland "X" Coleman

We wanted to show that an inmate can shed negative labels placed on them from society. The song is "Seasons" by Mozzy, Sjava, and Reason from the Black Panther soundtrack. This audio is layered with a spoken word piece called "10 Lessons from Jail" by Chris Lilley.

​We wanted the audience to feel overwhelmed as the inmate sheds the layers of negative labels and begins to take back their identity. This piece was an audio and visual response created with the intent to amplify the words of two storytellers, specifically their statements affirming their identities as growing, healing individuals with agency. 

Untitled
​​​by Chloe Hannum
​​in response to Truth

This work was inspired by the idea that people may encourage you until you make one simple wrong turn and as you loose encouragement from others you start to loose encouragement in yourself. ​

Sticky Lines
​​by Amalia Kousta 
​​in response to Wayland "X" Coleman

Crossing lines and expanding boundaries seems to appear as freedom but what happens when "crossing these lines" cost you your freedom? I wondered the same and thought I should write this poem. I was inspired by the multiple lines that exist our lives but no one notices how a one-dimensional, non-directional form, can cause so much pain, trouble and confinement. ​
​click the above image to watch the video on YouTube

Untitled
​​​by Welling Hall & Eilie Mencke
​​in response to Noble & Blandine

The class visit of a couple who had been incarcerated. Hearing about women's lack of menstrual products in prison is outrageous. Deliberate humiliation of incarcerated persons is a violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. ​

More creative responses to social justice related prompts