The No Beginning, No End Project is an art exhibition/artist talk back featuring my paintings at Buffalo Art Movement in March, 2024. I will be sharing the gallery with another black artist/social justice activist Edreys Wajed. Central to my exhibit will be a large three-dimensional painting There Is No Beginning and There Is No End which will be viewable from many different angles and viewpoints. On one side, The Creation or becoming of man/woman. The other side will depict the Last Super, the final meal before Christ’s crucifixion. Created to illicit conversation , There Is No Beginning, There Is No End is inspired by my own journey following a failed suicide attempt, and how what I thought was an end was actually a beginning.
Through a few written vignettes, I will reflect on my mental health crisis and how I slowly rebuilt my life through the creation of art.
My exhibit hopes to foster greater awareness and help break the stigmatism of mental illness (a significant barrier to treatment) through open conversations with my audience and especially at-risk individuals. To this end, I will reach out to the Resiliency Center of Buffalo (responding to the needs of community members in the aftermath of the racially motivated May 14 massacre) as a potential collaborator.
Preparation for the March Exhibition begins now. In addition to There Is No Beginning, There Is No End, my goal is to complete a total of three new related paintings for a total of four paintings over the next four months.
Shortly after the May 14 massacre at Tops, I was the lead artist on a grassroots memorial mural honoring the Jefferson Ten who lost their lives. This public art initiative has opened up conversations with people residing in the Cold Springs neighborhood. This Unity Mural ural has become almost iconic and has been featured in newspapers and videos across the nation including use by the NFL.
My dedication to uplifting the community is ongoing. I currently am collaborating with Gary Heard on 716 United, another mural project where I’ve painted dozens of Buffalo based business logos on a 100′ wall in an effort to bring businesses together. Money raised will help renovate a vacant building for use as a market/community center.
The general public and individuals facing mental health challenges are the intended audience. The exhibition will be promoted by myself, co-exhibitor Edreys Wajed, Buffalo Art Movement through social media. I also will reach out to Open Buffalo and the Resiliency Center for hep spreading the word.
