Kendra Lee
“A Middle Child’s Distorted Self 
16in x 20in Image”
When I heard J. Cole’s “Middle Child,” I immediately caught goose bumps and thought, “this man done did it again.” Listening to this song later in life and remembering those I’ve visited in jail, hit a little closer to home, once jail visitations became a part of my reality.  
The verse “Too many niggas in cycle of jail
Spending they birthdays inside of a cell…
We killing our brothers, they poisoned the well–Distorted self image, we set up to fail
I'ma make sure that the real gon' prevail, nigga,” served as inspiration for this art. I can’t help but paint hard realities in vivid color, so I didn’t hold back on this one either. 
Birthdays are meant to be celebrated, but the space in which you do it makes a difference. Incarceration is a life changing event for those personally affected and their loved ones. I don’t know what it’s like to spend a birthday in jail, but J. Cole offered a clear image of what that feeling looks like. 
Digital
@blackfruitart
$120