Expression in Oppressed Spaces, 2020

Cotton Twill

6 x 8’

The overall intention of Expression in Oppressed Spaces was to create a printed quilt that sheds light on oppressed individuals in the incarcerated LGBTQIA+ population. In facilities filled with violence and oppression, I want to produce a piece that highlights how individuals in oppressed environments are woven into the broader LGBTQIA+ community. The work incorporates aerial photos of incarcerated facilities, pride footage, and icons in the LGBTQIA+ movement. Around the border of the print, I am representing the 400 inmates in the K6G Unit in the L.A. Men’s Central Jail with black and white stripes. Printed on cotton twill to tie into the Aid’s Memorial Quilt, the piece is 6’ x 8’ to represent the average size of a United States prison cell. In a time in which a population remains so voiceless, I hope to only celebrate the figures that advanced a movement so far in contrast to the lack of progression seen in the United States incarceration system. The audio is a poem written and recited by Marsha P. Johnson called “Soul” at Hot Peaches in New York City.