Issue 51 | www.fokus.org
Atiba T. Edwards
Founder & Chief Curator Atiba is an engineer focused on making and connecting creative people, nodes, networks and moments.
Jozi Zwerdling Curator
Jozi is an artist enabler, educator and organizer who loves the INSIGHT project as a means of re-imagining, linking and documenting selves, stories and worlds.
Shani Cohen Curator
Shani is a Brooklyn based writer who believes in uniting our diverse communities through art and the power of words.
Cheryl Lee Bowers Curator
Cheryl is a Brooklyn based visual artist who believes photography and art is her freedom. “Visual Art is all about revelation, communication and celebration.”
Jordan Kifer Curator
Jordan is a Brooklyn based writer focused on creating art that invites conversation and inspires larger cultural impact.
INSIGHT Magazine showcases and archives emerging contemporary artists from all art disciplines. FOKUS produces this magazine to provide insight into people who are creating art, traditional and non-traditional, in their own way.
INSIGHT: WOUNDS Contributing Artists Cover by Hari Lualhati
Adele Ambrose • Rachel Chatham • Andre Clarke • Amarachi Crystal Esowe • Hari Lualhati • Jenná Wallace • Jeremy Wolf /FOKUS
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Questions, comments and contributions can be sent to insightsubmit@gmail.com. To view older issues of INSIGHT, visit www.fokus.org/insight. Copyright © 2017. INSIGHT (ISSN 2164-7771) is a publication of FOKUS, Inc. All rights reserved on entire contents. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.
INSIGHT: WOUNDS Contents 4 Andre Clarke Fear Comes With Being Black 5 Adele Ambrose Fusion 10 Rachel Chatham Mad Men & Monsters 10 Amarachi Crystal Esowe HANDCUFFED 16 Hari Lualhati Untamed Heart 19 Jennรก Wallace Another Level 20 Jennรก Wallace GLOW 23 Jeremy Wolf American Daydream
Photography
Visual Art
Creative Writing
Articles
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Fear Comes With Being Black Andre Clarke
“I was in Starbucks yesterday with my family eating and drinking next to 2 Auxiliary officers in full uniform. My daughter notices them and grabs my neck, pulling me down to her face. She says “Daddy I don’t want you to go to jail, I want you to stay here with me”. I ask her why would I go to jail? She responds “Because they think you did something bad” This is the black experience. I don’t feed her this rhetoric, I don’t teach her to fear or hate. Fear is our right of passage. Once you discover it, it becomes one with you. Some can manage it, some allow it to take over living in constant fear and some allow it to fester and boil over creating a seemingly over aggressive, angry, cynical, jaded black person. But we have no choice. Fear comes with being black. My daughter understands that our freedom isn’t free, and at anytime I can be taken away from my family simply because I look suspicious. And if I fight back I’m resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer. Black people are not given the benefit of the doubt. We know this. We live with this everyday. Watching what we say, what we do so we don’t give anyone a reason to suspect us of anything. Having to be bilingual - speak in a way that’s comfortable for us, or slang as some call it, and then speaking in a way that’s uncomfortable, a way where people won’t judge you and think you’re uneducated. If you’re white and reading this. Don’t sympathize with me. Dont stand with me. Don’t try to figure out how to save me. And don’t ever ever try to insult my intelligence and tell me things are getting better. “What about Obama?” While this black man was president, Eric Gardner was choked out for selling loosies in Staten Island. So no, our hip hop supported, basketball playing Shaft of a president did not represent progress. Be honest. With yourself. Understand your privelege. Understand that the same way I’m discriminated against and treated differently because of my dark skin and non - white status, you are given advantages and concessions because of your lack of melanin and white status. Admit that. Be honest and say “I benefit from this system that is in place to hold people of color down.” Once you understand this and not try to side step this fact and try to convince me that you had it hard too, you were poor, etc etc....then we can have an honest conversation about race, And healing and solutions. Until then, I’m gonna teach my child to still be cognizant of the unavoidable fear, but be strong in it. Stand tall in the face of this adversity. Teach her to fortify herself with knowledge of our people, of our past struggles. Know your history, know the white patriarchal society’s history as well. Learn what they learn so you can have the same tools they do. Travel the world. And never let anyone steal your black girl magic. Andre Clarke currently reside in Brooklyn, New York with his wife and daughter. He is a proud Brooklynite, born and raised, which resonates throughout his art - inspiring his short fiction, poems, and songwriting. 4 | www.fokus.org
Fusion
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Adele Ambrose
This series documents the photographer’s views on joy and melancholy while visiting Corsica in the South of France. The fusion of Nature and street art provide both healing and awakening. www.fokus.org |
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Adele Ambrose is a New York based photographer. She enjoys exploring the world, meeting new people and documenting the places that channel creativity and rebirth. www.fokus.org |
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Mad Men and Monsters Rachel Chatham
Eve 10 | www.fokus.org
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Fomation www.fokus.org |
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Pieces of You
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Rest
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The Hanged Men Rachel Chatham is a Brooklyn based artist specializing in acrylic painting and ink drawing. Her work is informed by a background in theatrical performance and a career as an production electrician and lighting designer. www.rachelchatham.com 14 | www.fokus.org
HAND Cuffed
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Amarachi Crystal Esowe
Amarachi Crystal Esowe is a Nigerian born, New York City raised artist and self-taught photographer. Esowe’s works evoke parts of culture, people, and scenery that others may not see, or have missed a chance at seeing. She breathes life into inanimate objects, also giving her viewers a heartfelt connection to her subjects and objects, in the composition of her photos, fine art, graphic design and words. www.amarachiesowe.com www.fokus.org |
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Untamed Heart Hari Lualhati
Vulnerable
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Beyond Desire
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Perfect Love for the Imperfect Hari Lualhati was born in Philippnes and obtained a Degree in Fine Arts in University of the Philippines, Diliman year 2006 - Cum Laude. Hari is now based in South Africa. An award win- ning artist in many prestigious international competitions and exhibitions, Hari’s work is sensitive and arresting. Heading to- wards gurative works, Hari’s artpieces revolved aroud life lessons, love, and value of life. For Hari, an artwork is successful if it can make anyone who would look at it feel the emotion that its suppose to give. It’s like delivering a clear message by touching the hearts of the viewers. www.harilualhati.yolasite.com 18 | www.fokus.org
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Another Level Jenná Wallace
Tiring and draining This life needs sustaining Sustenance without consequence is what Im saying. Too much delaying On the fastest pace an’ No where to run No where to hide No where to be No one to see Except the one in the mirror Keeps getting clearer & clearer Aware of every wrinkle Tracking the tear stains on my cheek I feel weak I Break down and cry Fallin to my knees I crack the tiles …. And fall through I’m on another level Up is down so when I fell down its really up. DAMN, Im so down.
Jenná Wallace is a living representation of fashion & art. Originally from Los Angeles, she spent a decade living in New York. Now residing in Los Angeles, her experience has cultivated a vast knowledge of art and fashion trends of the past, present and future. www.GlowSocietyLLC.com www.fokus.org |
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Glow
Jennรก Wallace
Our Tears Prepare The Ground
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Silently I Wait
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Ideas of Good and Bad
Jennรก Wallace is a living representation of fashion & art. Originally from Los Angeles, she spent a decade living in New York. Now residing in Los Angeles, her experience has cultivated a vast knowledge of art and fashion trends of the past, present and future. www.GlowSocietyLLC.com 22 | www.fokus.org
New York City Abstractions
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Jil Gewirtz
Wilt
Jeremy Wolf is a 27-year-old artist living and working in Brooklyn. His work explores themes of identity, power dynamics, and relationships between persons and groups. Recent paintings react to the seismic shifts in the current American political landscape, the subsequent effect on society, and the changing concept of what it means and has meant to be an American. www.jeremywolf.com www.fokus.org |
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Be Still And I Know That I Am God
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That Which We Take For Granted
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Thank You for reading INSIGHT: WOUNDS We hope you enjoyed the work shared with you. The theme for the next issue is: TRIBE Read more issues @ www.fokus.org/insight