These pieces have been my happy place, my place of comfort, and release.  During the process of creating this work I was worried about the financial well-being of my family cause everything is so fukin expensive. and the little raise I get from work is nothing to the constant rising cost of living.
 
“Respiration” is a series of layered cityscapes inspired by the song Respiration by Black Star featuring Common. Growing up in the city and being introduced to hip-hop culture through breakin’ and graffiti at a young age gave me both a creative voice and a way to navigate the world around me.
 
Each piece begins with an intuitive abstract background where emotion and instinct guide color and movement. I then sketch city structures, trains, and fragmented architecture as a way of creating order within chaos. Layers of color, sharpened line work, hidden messages, and scattered doodles invite viewers deeper into the work and into my perspective of urban life. Random cats appear throughout the series as playful reminders of curiosity, survival, and presence.
 
 
2026, mixed media, 24in x 30in, 
 
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