Artist Bios

aaliyah webster

Stanford graphic designer

Aaliyah is a freshman from Hemet, CA interested in the criminal justice aspects of the public policy field. In her free time, she enjoys making visual art and producing music.

sarah kim

Stanford graphic designer

Sarah is a visual designer who embraces community collaboration and inclusion in her work, including with the zine. Her favorite way to explore history and identity is through making, researching, and conversing about art with friends and strangers. john hines

Norco artist

John is a writer whose work primarily focuses on issues of equality in America. He helps run Prisoner’s Key, a nonprofit that reunites incarcerated parents with their children and reduces recidivism through education.

ty lindquist

Norco artist

Ty is a former systemimpacted artist who was released in February 2021. His style of poetry comes from his desire to be a voice for the voiceless, highlight important events, and give encouragement. He says: thank each and every one of you for this opportunity to express myself in a positive outlet.

maryam khalil

Stanford organizer

Maryam Khalil is a junior at Stanford from Misruta, Libya, and Lee’s Summit, Missouri. She joined the zine in 2019 because she knows that the carceral system in America is a reflection of the global police state, and she wanted to learn more about how art can be a radical revolutionary practice from talented artists like Mesro and the rest of the Prison Renaissance team. Nancy is a psychology student interested in border issues and decarceration. In her free time, she is probably making music, taking photos, or playing with her cat Momo. She joined the team after being inspired by the radical collaborations central to the project.

sequoiah hippolyte

Stanford artist

Sequoiah (she/they) is a filmmaker and writer whose art practice is rooted in expanded narratives for Black women and queer folks. She is extremely passionate about art as a mode of deconstructing systems of oppression. Sequoiah has been working alongside Ty through PRZ for the past two years, and is very grateful to have met such a captivating writer and lifelong friend.

tori qiu

Stanford graphic designer & organizer

Tori is a junior interested in painting, drawing, and philosophy. She joined the zine as a freshman after learning about the prison abolition movement and how art intersects with revolutionary politics.

Grace Scullion is a junior majoring in American Studies, dancing, reading, and writing. Through her correspondence with Jimmy Medel, a Native visual artist in San Quentin, she has learned about the history of the Yuki people of California, their art forms, and their current fight for justice, and she is grateful for this publication for allowing readers across the country to do the same. Bruce never knew art before he came to prison. If he had, he believes he would have made better decisions. Because of art, he feels that he is free, even behind these cold walls and locked doors. Art is his key. You can support his work at the Facebook page “Art by Bruce Fowler.” Artist’s statement: Art is my life preserver in a melancholy sea.

lamavis comundoiwilla

Vince enjoys making things and understanding their connections to the materials they are made of; he hopes the materials he uses can build up the purpose of his works and add to their fluidity. He has made over 50 small sculptures and is now working to scale up his work, understand the history of each material he uses, and replace his wardrobe with only homemade clothing.

jimmy medel

San Quentin artist San Quentin artist

Jimmy thanks the Art in Correction Correspondence Course, all of his instructors, Carlo, Katya, Dunya, Sonia, Ned, Jun, Hines, and Beth. He also gives a big thanks to Grace, Nancy, and others working with Prison Renaissance for this opportunity to share art creation and honor his ancestors with his painting. Jimmy has been released since Oct. 2021. Artist statement: “My painting is new, but the roots are old. I don’t think it is bad to seek inspiration and to find your understanding from old things. When my art is viewed my borders are personal and play a part in bringing all of our Nations together again.”

lucy rickerichLamavis was born in Long Beach, CA and was Stanford organizer raised in Compton. He started drawing in 1998 at the request of his parents, and later, in 2018, started painting while in prison. He says, “Art is when wisdom of life meets the divine, because it allows me to show the gift God gives.” His work has been featured at Derby University, UCLA, SFO, Marin County Fair, Public Policy Institute, Marin County Court, and the 9th Circuit Court of Lucy is a junior studying Human Biology. As a dancer, she is moved by how art as communication transcends words, especially those words that might otherwise be silenced. She joined the team three years ago after a conversation with Mesro that made her realize the full connective power of artistic collaboration and its role in prison abolition. Appeals.

Special thanks to: Selby Schwartz • Mesro Coles-El Michelle Chang • Netta Wang Emile DeWeaver • Adamu Chan

07

Stanford artist & organizer

Anna is a dancer, scholar, and educator who believes we must listen carefully to the stories held in our bodies. She writes about protests, assemblies, and gatherings—the crowded moments where we feel the presence of those around us.

lora supandi

Aaron is a driven artist whose poetic sensibility and musical talent amplify his voice in the world. Through revision and an attention to detail, Aaron captures his experience with nuance, making a stranger feel welcomed in his space. Shared artist statement with Anna: “How lovely it is, this thing we have done—together”, Toni Morrison’s 1993 Nobel Prize Speech

arushi gupta

Stanford organizer

Arushi is a sophomore studying Urban Studies and Computer Science who enjoys reading fiction, doing crossword puzzles, and playing with her dog. She joined the team because she believes that art is a powerful, collective medium for imagining alternative, post-carceral futures.