Collab w/ CultureStrike & UndocuBlack

 

Yo, just did this really quick loose piece for The Center for Cultural Power and UndocuBlack. Check out the final and process artwork. 

If you're unfamiliar CCP (formerly CultureStrike) uses artwork as a tool to move cultural understanding about a campaign, people, or an issue forward. That hopefully helps organizers move law and policy makers forward. UndocuBlack is a crew of current and former migrants of all ages who organize around Black folks who are migrating. They do this to build Black leadership in immigration and to raise awareness about the rights of Black Migrants.

It is always an honor to work with CultureStrike as I have before in the past and to start a working relationship with UndocuBlack. Here in this image I collage some of the players in the story that unfolded on international media this Fall concerning Haitian migrants, their rights, disrespect and illegal action by the US government, and more. I stand w/Black Migrants!

Peep the statement from CCP and UndocuBlack:

Immigration is a Black Issue period!

This is the National Week of Action in support of Black Migrants. All Black Migrants deserve refuge and protection!

The Biden administration isn’t keeping its promise to address systemic racism in this country and is employing the Trump Era Title 42 Policy that expels black asylum-seekers. Revoke Title 42 and the metering system of processing asylum seekers now!

Since September 19th the administration has expelled more than 7,500 migrants, including children, with inhumane tactics. We seek immediate humanitarian parole so that migrants will be allowed time to process their asylum claims on the U.S. side of the border.

We must defend all black migrants. Every person deserves the right to seek safety, freedom, and protection from persecution and violence.

If you missed the last piece I did for Center for Cultural Power/ CultureStrike, check it out here.

Children's Portrait 65 - Mari

 

Here's a portrait of little girl named Mari who I painted earlier this year. 

If you would like to commission a painting of a child or a family member go HERE. If you missed the previous portrait of Belen's whole Family, check it out.

Video: SFPL Reading

 

Hey fam, heres a video recording of myself and author Leticia Hernandez-Linares reading "Alejandria Fights Back!" 

If you want the teachers guide, coloring sheets, or resources about housing check out AlejandriaFightsBack.com

Art for CEJA report

Yo, I made the illustrations for this last year and its being released now. Shout out to my sister Tiffany Eng (California Environmental Justice Alliance) who brought me on for this, but more importantly works on issues of environmental racism, city planning, zoning, and more. The work she does revolving around studies and policy helps to change laws which then positively effects people. 

Especially working class folks and people of color. Environmentalism is often seen as a mountain, river, or forest issue. It's often seen as something white people work on. But, the effects of things like pollution and climate change effect all of us, especially those who live closest to factories and freeways.

If you want to read the summary of this report done by CEJA and see all of the illustrations, I invite you to download it and read it HERE.  There you will find more information and the full report as well. 

Check out the last illustration I did for the Sunshine Movement who also work on climate issues.

Character 160 - Judging

 

I saw a lady in front of a Chinese restaurant and made an imagined doodle of her.

If you missed the last character, here she is : Digger 

And here is the last collage of characters 

Inspiring Artist - Bisa Butler (born 1973)

 

Bisa Butler!!  The first time I heard of this artist was through MC Black Thought on his interview series last year when the pandemic started. I had been seeing her incredible work and thought it was oil or acrylic when I saw it. Come to find out she sews and collages these incredible images together. Wow, so dope. Doesn't matter what your discipline is, just peep her work and support because she's a living artist who is still pretty young.

Yo, if you're new: This is where I share artists that have been inspiring to me in my work sometimes directly and other times indirectly. Again go to her site and check her out.

I love this woman's work and if you didn't catch the last inspiring artists check them out:

Elizabeth Catlett

Olivia Fields

Storyboard course panel

 

I'm taking the year long course led by these storyboard artists who collectively have tons of experience in the animation and filmmaking. If your interested check out some of the other free videos on the "Story Board Art" YouTube HERE.

Book review: At Home Librarian

Yo, we got a review by Tibby Wroten who runs the "At Home Librarian" blog where she reviews a diverse array of kid lit so parents, librarians, booksellers, and book lovers can learn about cool new books. Check it out HERE.

Here's a quote from the review:

"the book is a roadmap of sorts or how kids and adults can take steps to protect their communities. While this story is particular to gentrification, the ideas behind organizing community are the same no matter what issue you take on. I also really appreciate the ideas presented here around organizing the people around you to show up to City Hall to speak at council meetings and also getting plugged into organizations working specifically on the issue at hand. Most books for kids that talk about “activism” are about making signs and showing up at marches they didn’t organize."

And if you check out this link, you can see some other books of mine that she's reviewed.

 

VIDEO: My fav art books

 

What up y'all, been wanting to do this video for a minute. Art books are a great way to unplug from the internet or get someone reading who doesn't normally like books. Whenever I get stuck I pull out some ill art books, read them, and just flip through them. Check these books out. Cop them from an indy store or request them at your local library!

If you missed my last inspiration board check it here

The last kids book I did is called Alejandria Fights Back

Here are all the books I mention in this video, please support them. Cop from the artists themselves,   your local independent bookstore, or Bookshop.org.

-"Spraycan Art" by Henry Chalfant & James Prigoff 

-"One Track Mind" Graffiti Magazine 

-"OS Gemeos" 

-"Reflections In Black" by Deborah Willis 

-"Chaz Bojorquez" 

-"The Early Bird" by Morning Breath 

-"De La Soul" by Frank 151 

-"Spider Man Into the Spiderverse" by Sony/ Marvel 

-"The Dam Keeper" by Tonko House 

-"Robota" by Doug Chiang and Orson Scott Card 

-"Celebrate People's History" by Josh MacPhee 

-"Everyday Love Vol. 3" by Nidhi Chanani 

-"Frontier" by Hellen Jo 

-"Spam 4" by Mingjue Helen Chen 

-"The Black Book" by Khari Randolph 

-"Version 002" by Jake Wyatt 

-"Art of Jisei" by Miguel C. Hernandez

Bilingual book mark set updated

 

Here is an updated image for this set of bilingual bookmarks. You can cop a few or a set for a whole classroom. Go here!

If you're a bilingual parent, Spanish teacher, bookstore owner, or librarian check out this set of READ prints as well.