Paintings
On June 17, 2015, a mass shooting occurred in Charleston, South Carolina, in which nine African Americans were killed during a Bible study at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. The morning after the attack, police arrested a 21-year-old white man who had asked if he could attend the Bible study before opening fire shortly thereafter.
Though the nine sets of feet at the top of the canvas could allude to lynched figures, they simultaneously represent spiritual ascension.
This panting is homage to those nine parishioners whose lives were taken by racist gun violence. Painted in 2015, the painting was given the Award of Excellence by the Japanese Chamber of Commerce during their annual Commitment to Excellence Exhibit, held in Honolulu, HI at the Linekona Art Center.