Lamentations 8:46–18:19, by Michael C. Gibson
It is usually late at night when Michael C. Gibson creates his works of art. He works with purpose and exactness in a world of shimmering grays, as he says, to “push the limits of realism in the graphite medium” as well as to seek to “capture that which we cannot see: thoughts, feelings, emotions, the soul and spirit.” When the two meet, as in this visual document of Black lives, lost lives, resistance, and ancestors, what emerges is immediate, devastating, and demanding.
Gibson writes in his artist statement that he uses the Bible and Lamentations as “a metaphor for the story of the descendants of the enslaved. The drawing depicts various people and moments of our struggle. . . . As we continue to resist, it is always important for me to remember our ancestors because it is on their shoulders we stand as they watch over and continue to resist with us. It is because of the wisdom of the Creator that we fortify our faith, renew our hope and deepen our love and pursue our home: justice and peace.”
This piece is sold in a limited edition by Overdue Recognition Art Gallery, a Maryland gallery focused on Black artists.
