Zanmi lartis Henry Johnson é mo, no té fé kolaborasyon poézi é lar vijwèl, 37 an (ki olé di dirasyon lavi a Van Gogh), pou in zévènmen dan Disrik Kiltirèl Renoir dan Pak Tickie Saia Memorial a Baton-Rouj. Ça té fé parti programm nasyonal lar é lasanté-la Arts For EveryBody ki té rivé le 27 jilyét 2024. Cesar A. Rico té tradwí poèm-la dan spañol latinomérikin: 37 Años. Gran mèsi a vayan Evelyn Ware ki linm édé moun atravè lar, ki çé préziden a The Red Stick Project osit, é dirèktris artistik Ellen Ogden pou organizé projé-çila é a Doktè Darius Spieth pou sô konnésans apré lar ki sòr Lafrik.

Gran mèsi a Konséy Lar a Gran Baton-Rouj-la, Mérès Sharon Weston-Broome, The Red Stick Project, lartis Mike Weary, Pak BREC, Chinbo, Inc., gardyin-layé ki té chéké noû lasanté pendan spèktak, toulmoun ki té viní jwènn nouzòt jou-çala, épi Arts For EveryBody pou shwazi Baton-Rouj pou fé parti gran zévènmen nasyonal-çila.

Fellow artist Henry Johnson and I made this poetry and visual art collaboration, 37 an (37 Years, signifying the lifespan of Van Gogh), for an event in the Renoir Cultural District at Tickie Saia Memorial Park in Baton Rouge, LA. It was part of the national arts and health campaign, Arts For EveryBody, which took place July 27, 2024. Cesar A. Rico translated the poem into Latin American Spanish: 37 Años. Special thanks to the great humanitarian and President of The Red Stick Project Evelyn Ware and Artistic Director Ellen Ogden for organizing this project and to Dr. Darius Spieth for his knowledge of African Art.

Big thanks to The Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge, Mayor Sharon Weston Broome, The Red Stick Project, artist Mike Weary, BREC Parks, Chinbo, Inc., the nurses who checked our vitals during the performances, everyone who came to join us that day, and Arts For EveryBody for choosing Baton Rouge to take part in this great national event.

Koushma

Dan 2020 mo té sitan éksité pou désinné lilistrasyon-layé pou Folklore Figures of French and Creole Louisiana par Nathan J. Rabalais, in liv ki sortí en mars 2021. Min, minm moun ki fé yê méyè pou reprézenté toulmoun fé érè temzentem.

Pòrtré-çila çé "dézyinm léta" a Koushma pou-ki sô "primyé léta" trouvé dan liv-la. Apré manifèstasyon-layé pour chercher jistis pou George Floyd, apré lété plènn vyolons fé par polis, mo té komensé travayé enho projé-çila. Mo sèrvi souven mo lar konm in mañè pou éshapé a dòt moun-yé, ça fé mo désiné involontèmen in moun lapo klè dan lit-la. Mo malreprézenté divèsité-la de nô léritaj é kiltir dan Lalwizyàn.

Koushma (dézyinm léta), pòrtré vou wa isit, lib pou télésharjé. Vouzòt invité pou télésharjé, pattajé, é sèrvi li sèlmen dan voû lavi pèsonnèl. Çé pa lib pou fé biznis. [kliké pòrtré enho]

M'ofri ça isit pou di mo shagrin. Mo swèt vouzòt va aksèpté. Mèsi pou komprenn.

Koushma (Nightmare)

In 2020 I was so excited to draw the illustrations for Folklore Figures of French and Creole Louisiana by Nathan J. Rabalais, a new book that came out in March 2021. But, even people who do their best to make sure that they represent everyone make errors from time to time.

This image is the "second state" of Koushma, whose "first state" is found in the book. After the protests seeking justice for George Floyd, after a summer full of police violence, I started to work on this project. I often use my art as a manner of escaping to other worlds, so I involuntarily drew a person with light skin in the bed, misrepresenting the diversity of our cultural heritage here in Louisiana.

Koushma (second state), the image you see here, is now available for free. You're invited to download, share, and use it for non-commercial use only. [click the image above]

Please take this offer as my apology. Thank you for understanding.