2024 was all about fortification.
2025 is the time we elevate and evolve from the foundation we created for ourselves—most importantly, with those we love and who love us back.
To elevate, we first must be critical of ourselves and of the communities we build within. These ideas inspired my second solo exhibition, “They Should Have Never Gave You Niggas Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice,” which opened in June 2024 in Atlanta, GA, at Hidden Gallery 333.
An area I’ve always critiqued about myself is how little I share my art, despite having so much to offer in so many ways. For over 15 years, I’ve been building an archive of images featuring the world around me,but who would ever know until I show?
Most of this avoidance has been based on the fact that the nigganet (a word I just made up for the internet) just doesn’t respect intellectual property rights. The rest comes from my own doubts and insecurities, which I gracefully work through in private : )
The plan has always been to one day create mixed-media works from all these damn terabytes, unified by some profound thought.
Recently, I’ve been reminded that plenty of profound thoughts already exist, and it’s best to use those,then you can focus on making dope and profound work.
As the saying goes, “Free your mind, and the rest/yo ass will follow.”
This exhibition was successful not only because I sold art but because it validated every idea I’ve had about how I want to be supported by a community while making it. The people in your life are a direct reflection of where you are in life and the success that awaits you. From the home my family is developing to the studios where I create the work to the gallery where I exhibited, it’s clear to me that people who understand what success really is rub off on you in many ways…and the art reflects that.
I put this exhibition together while bringing a newborn into the world, supporting my beautiful lady in her 4th trimester, and editing a docuseries pilot for a book I wrote about being a better artist and person, all so that whatever happens next in this world, my next moves could be the ABSOLUTE best ones I could make in 2025.
The best way I could describe what Atlanta is to me would be: the perfect foundation for elevation. The city is built on granite, for starters. Even though Atlanta is a lot of imperfect things, you get the most out of it, in my experience, by first getting the most out of yourself.
Thanks for reading, writing is one of the many things I will stop gatekeeping for myself I suppose and continue sharing here. Next up I will be writing more about the home studio and why it’s a crucial and important space to me. This year RESIDENCE is strong on my heart because I’ve benefitted ALOT this pandemic era from having places available to get this art off!
Be sure to visit my store and ARTSY to view and collect works from this series and others in process. Message me for any and all art inquires. PEACE, PEACE YA’LL