#visionsfromtheinside2016

[culturestrike]

This piece (by Crystal Clarity), along with all other #VisionsFromTheInside2016 are for sale on our online store! Go to: bit.ly/csprints (or click on the link on the bio section of our feed), and use the checkout code "cs2016" to get 30% off your entire purchase! Prints, posters, stickers, postcards, portfolios! It's all gotta go! Sale ends this Saturday, 11/26/16.

[breenache]

Tonight my band mates from @lossirenas came with me to visit CultureStrike's dope office and gallery curated by the illustrious @juliosalgado83 As a weird, shy and dorky individual it's a blessing to be reminded by chosen family and the fantastic organizers of @culturestrike that the arts is what makes all of our peoples bear the genius ideas to inspire and agitate the need to decolonize our communities. #lossirenas #visionsfromtheinside2016 #culturestrike #arte #comics #illustration (at CultureStrike)

[foreverthesoniag]

Piece #14 from @culturestrike 's #VisionsFromTheInside2016 series, a collaborative project between visual artists and immigrants facing the for-profit detention monster. To view complete series, please visit: bit.ly/csvisions Excerpt from detainee's letter: “My hope is that they close that place. That the people in charge of taking care of detained immigrants treat us like human beings…I hope to God that he also frees the many trans girls in there because they don’t deserve this.” -Christina Artist statement: “Christina’s testimony about the cruel guards, the denial of hormones and basic medical treatment, and of having to hide her trans identity exemplified the ways our immigration laws and policies constantly oppress, dehumanize, and require an extraordinary degree of resilience, particularly from those who already face extreme marginalization within our cultures. Whenever I carve a piece of linoleum I am reminded of how light helps us make sense of the dark. As such, Christina’s story inspired me to imagine a God born from despair and perseverance, a God who transcends gender, who listens and frees us all. Special thanks to Christina for allowing me to artfully explore her experience, and to Thea Gahr, Shreya Shah, Sue Kamman Wilson and numerous others for helping me with this piece.” -Matice Moore @mariamatice Connect with this artist on: bit.ly/loveletters4liberation #EndFamilyDetention #Not1More #art4 #artforchange #borderlands #immigration #undocumented #socialjustice #racialjustice #migration #refugees #migrantpower

[visionsfromtheinside]

"My hope is that they close that place. That the people in charge of taking care of detained immigrants treat us like human beings...I hope to God that he also frees the many trans girls in there because they don't deserve this." - Excerpt from Christina's letter

Artist statement: “Christina's testimony about the cruel guards, the denial of hormones and basic medical treatment, and of having to hide her trans identity exemplified the ways our immigration laws and policies constantly oppress, dehumanize, and require an extraordinary degree of resilience, particularly from those who already face extreme marginalization within our cultures. Whenever I carve a piece of linoleum I am reminded of how light helps us make sense of the dark. As such, Christina's story inspired me to imagine a God born from despair and perseverance, a God who transcends gender, who listens and frees us all. Special thanks to Christina for allowing me to artfully explore her experience, and to Thea Gahr, Shreya Shah, Sue Kamman Wilson and numerous others for helping me with this piece.” -Matice Moore

Connect with this artist on: Instagram Website

Visions From The Inside is a collaborative project between visual artists and immigrants facing the for-profit detention monster.  

[culturestrike]

Piece #14 from our #VisionsFromTheInside2016 series, a collaborative project between visual artists and immigrants facing the for-profit detention monster. To view complete series, please visit: bit.ly/csvisions Excerpt from detainee's letter: “My hope is that they close that place. That the people in charge of taking care of detained immigrants treat us like human beings…I hope to God that he also frees the many trans girls in there because they don’t deserve this.” -Christina Artist statement: “Christina’s testimony about the cruel guards, the denial of hormones and basic medical treatment, and of having to hide her trans identity exemplified the ways our immigration laws and policies constantly oppress, dehumanize, and require an extraordinary degree of resilience, particularly from those who already face extreme marginalization within our cultures. Whenever I carve a piece of linoleum I am reminded of how light helps us make sense of the dark. As such, Christina’s story inspired me to imagine a God born from despair and perseverance, a God who transcends gender, who listens and frees us all. Special thanks to Christina for allowing me to artfully explore her experience, and to Thea Gahr, Shreya Shah, Sue Kamman Wilson and numerous others for helping me with this piece.” -Matice Moore @mariamatice Connect with this artist on: bit.ly/loveletters4liberation #EndFamilyDetention #Not1More #art4 #artforchange #borderlands #immigration #undocumented #socialjustice #racialjustice #migration #refugees #migrantpower

[foreverthesoniag]

Piece #13 from @culturestrike #VisionsFromTheInside2016 series, a collaborative project between visual artists and immigrants facing the for-profit detention monster. To view complete series, please visit: bit.ly/csvisions Excerpt from detainee's letter: "“I have a couple of witnesses that saw when deportation officer handcuffed me in the back and they saw when I went back to the unit with several scars and bruises and scratches in my wrists from the handcuffs.” - Mr. Gutierrez Artist statement: “What I wanted to convey with this piece is emotion. The emotional toll of facing so many unjust situations and treatment, the mental and physical pain that was described by the author of the letter i illustrated, and the reaction of the guards and the man. I’m honored to be working with the brave families who have gone through so much and the organizations fighting to get their story out.” -Robert Trujillo @robert_tres Connect with this artist on: robtrujilloart.tumblr.com #EndFamilyDetention #Not1More #art4 #artforchange #borderlands #immigration #undocumented #socialjustice #racialjustice #migration #refugees #migrantpower

[visionsfromtheinside]

“I have a couple of witnesses that saw when deportation officer handcuffed me in the back and they saw when I went back to the unit with several scars and bruises and scratches in my wrists from the handcuffs.” -Excerpt from Mr. Gutierrez’ letter

Artist statement: “What I wanted to convey with this piece is emotion. The emotional toll of facing so many unjust situations and treatment, the mental and physical pain that was described by the author of the letter i illustrated, and the reaction of the guards and the man. I'm honored to be working with the brave families who have gone through so much and the organizations fighting to get their story out.” -Robert Trujillo

Connect with this artist on: Twitter Instagram Website

Visions From The Inside is a collaborative project between visual artists and immigrants facing the for-profit detention monster.

[visionsfromtheinside]

“I didn’t come here to hurt anybody. I just came to this country trying to save my life.” Excerpt from Marlon’s letter.

Artist statement: Kristen Ramirez used gouache, watercolor, and ink on paper to create this piece that draws on vibrant color and pattern. Using the huipil ("traje de vida") as a metaphor, she draws comparisons between prison uniforms and this more humanizing, dignified clothing worn ritually to events like weddings and burials. The huipil has historically been worn by people of high ranking (women, in particular) and often used to adorn saints. It stands in as a reminder of the dignity that has been lost through irrational incarcerations.

Connect with this artist here: Website

Visions From The Inside is a collaborative project between visual artists and immigrants facing the for-profit detention monster.

[foreverthesoniag]

Piece #11 from @culturestrike 's #VisionsFromTheInside2016 series, a collaborative project between visual artists and immigrants facing the for-profit detention monster. To view complete series, please visit: bit.ly/csvisions Excerpt from detainee's letter: “I wish I was a butterfly flying out of this place and into my freedom.” - Maribel Artist statement: “I wanted to show the tension of being caught in this system, this portal of detainment. And Maribels statement of wishing to fly out of that situation like a butterfly. The wall on the other side shows shadows of the violent life that she is only trying to distance herself from by migrating. Someone told me that the actual figure looked like me and I think subconsciously it was because after reading her letter my empathy went into overdrive. I felt transported into her situation. I felt like I was there, connected to her struggle in such an intimate way. If we all could put ourselves in the place of others in this way we wouldn’t have a crisis such as this. We would let people find the safety and life that we desire for ourselves. I wish her and all the detainees the liberty and life of freedom that they deserve. This illustration is my prayer.” -Crystal Clarity @msclarity83 Connect with this artist on: crystalclarity83.com6 #EndFamilyDetention #Not1More #art4 #artforchange #borderlands #immigration #undocumented #socialjustice #racialjustice #migration #refugees #migrantpower #woc #qwoclove

[culturestrike]

This past April, we collaborated with El Paso artists Zeke Peña @zpvisual and unaccompanied minors to conceive and paint a mural inside of a youth shelter in the El Paso area. Check out the entire video to see the process of how this piece came to be, the actual painting of it, and the final result at: bit.ly/csmuralvid Special thanks to all volunteers and all those who supported us in this effort. Much love to all artists and organizers in the El Paso area who met with us and worked with us. We hope to be back soon!! #artforchange #mural #ElPaso #visionsfromtheinside2016 #Immigration #undocumented #socialjustice #racialjustice #not1more #unaccompaniedminors

[culturestrike]

Piece #11 from our #VisionsFromTheInside2016 series, a collaborative project between visual artists and immigrants facing the for-profit detention monster. To view complete series, please visit: bit.ly/csvisions Excerpt from detainee's letter: “I wish I was a butterfly flying out of this place and into my freedom.” - Maribel Artist statement: “I wanted to show the tension of being caught in this system, this portal of detainment. And Maribels statement of wishing to fly out of that situation like a butterfly. The wall on the other side shows shadows of the violent life that she is only trying to distance herself from by migrating. Someone told me that the actual figure looked like me and I think subconsciously it was because after reading her letter my empathy went into overdrive. I felt transported into her situation. I felt like I was there, connected to her struggle in such an intimate way. If we all could put ourselves in the place of others in this way we wouldn’t have a crisis such as this. We would let people find the safety and life that we desire for ourselves. I wish her and all the detainees the liberty and life of freedom that they deserve. This illustration is my prayer.” -Crystal Clarity @msclarity83 Connect with this artist on: crystalclarity83.com6 #EndFamilyDetention #Not1More #art4 #artforchange #borderlands #immigration #undocumented #socialjustice #racialjustice #migration #refugees #migrantpower

[foreverthesoniag]

Piece #10 from @culturestrike #VisionsFromTheInside2016 series, a collaborative project between visual artists and immigrants facing the for-profit detention monster. To view complete series, please visit: bit.ly/csvisions Excerpt from detainee's letter: “There is no medical attention unless they can no longer walk or get up from bed.” - Lorena Artist statement: “In her letter, Lorena describes the oppressive, unjust and unsafe conditions that she has had to endure while being there, such as abuse from the guards, and other inmates, and a lack of medical attention for all the women. She says Latina women suffer the most abuse and are given no support to complain because they speak spanish. I wanted to reflect these unjust conditions in my illustration to give a voice to Lorena and all the women, who feel powerless in their situation. The bottom three panels of my illustration depict a lot of restriction and dark colors to reflect the prison cells they are forced to live within. I drew prison bars as the United States flag. This flag is often presented as a symbol of freedom, which hides the fact that the U.S. government is actually a police state, incarcerating more Black, Brown and migrant peoples than any other place in the world. What stood out to me in the letter though was Lorena’s strength and love of sisterhood. Her letter reflected so much empathy and compassion for her sisters detained with her. One line in particular she says “she is hopeful and knows there is a God and that these abuses will end especially against Latina women who do not speak English because they suffer the most abuse.” I was inspired by her faith in the conditions changing for her and her sisters, and I wanted to depict that in the top part of my illustration, where you see a very divine Brown woman, hands open free, surrounded by a lot of light and beauty just like our peoples. I believe that it is the faith and spirit of Black and Brown people that continues to sustain our existence and resistance.” -Francis Mead @girasoulll Connect with this: Connect with this artist: girasoulll.tumblr.com/ #EndFamilyDetention #Not1More #art4 #artforchange #borderlands #immigration

[visionsfromtheinside]

“I wish I was a butterfly flying out of this place and into my freedom” Excerpt from Maribel’s letter.

Artist statement: “I wanted to show the tension of being caught in this system, this portal of detainment. And Maribels statement of wishing to fly out of that situation like a butterfly. The wall on the other side shows shadows of the violent life that she is only trying to distance herself from by migrating. Someone told me that the actual figure looked like me and I think subconsciously it was because after reading her letter my empathy went into overdrive. I felt transported into her situation. I felt like I was there, connected to her struggle in such an intimate way. If we all could put ourselves in the place of others in this way we wouldn't have a crisis such as this. We would let people find the safety and life that we desire for ourselves. I wish her and all the detainees the liberty and life of freedom that they deserve. This illustration is my prayer.” -Crystal Clarity

Connect with this artist on: Instagram Website

Visions From The Inside is a collaborative project between visual artists and immigrants facing the for-profit detention monster.  

[foreverthesoniag]

Piece #9 from @culturestrike 's #VisionsFromTheInside2016 series, a collaborative project between visual artists and immigrants facing the for-profit detention monster. To view complete series, please visit: bit.ly/csvisions Excerpt from detainee's letter: “The guards mistreat them because they do not speak English.” Reina Artist statement: “My practice examines the brown body, the battleground into which events, perceptions and laws are formed. The Latino body has been the setting of exploitation, marginalization, and persecution. The manipulation of the painting surface, and the act of physically cutting into paper or prints are metaphors for wounds, brands, and communal stereotypes imposed on “these people,” and it causes the viewer to ask how long a group of people can withstand losing parts of themselves. In my work, I choose cutting paper and other surfaces as a crucial technique because it evokes the crafts and customs taught to me as a toddler in Oaxaca, where they continue to be used as techniques to celebrate festivals and mourn the dead. By cutting into maps, paintings, and prints, I take what the mainstream media portrays and rearrange it so that I can finally say my side of this story. I am taking what has been endured by ���los invisibles” and putting real faces and narratives to a group that has too often been forgotten.” -Fidencio Martinez @fidencio.m.perez Connect with this artist here: http://www.fidenciomartinez.com/ #EndFamilyDetention #Not1More #art4 #artforchange #borderlands #immigration #undocumented #socialjustice #racialjustice #migration #refugees #migrantpower #woc

[culturestrike]

Piece #10 from our #VisionsFromTheInside2016 series, a collaborative project between visual artists and immigrants facing the for-profit detention monster. To view complete series, please visit: bit.ly/csvisions Excerpt from detainee's letter: “There is no medical attention unless they can no longer walk or get up from bed.” - Lorena Artist statement: “In her letter, Lorena describes the oppressive, unjust and unsafe conditions that she has had to endure while being there, such as abuse from the guards, and other inmates, and a lack of medical attention for all the women. She says Latina women suffer the most abuse and are given no support to complain because they speak spanish. I wanted to reflect these unjust conditions in my illustration to give a voice to Lorena and all the women, who feel powerless in their situation. The bottom three panels of my illustration depict a lot of restriction and dark colors to reflect the prison cells they are forced to live within. I drew prison bars as the United States flag. This flag is often presented as a symbol of freedom, which hides the fact that the U.S. government is actually a police state, incarcerating more Black, Brown and migrant peoples than any other place in the world. What stood out to me in the letter though was Lorena’s strength and love of sisterhood. Her letter reflected so much empathy and compassion for her sisters detained with her. One line in particular she says “she is hopeful and knows there is a God and that these abuses will end especially against Latina women who do not speak English because they suffer the most abuse.” I was inspired by her faith in the conditions changing for her and her sisters, and I wanted to depict that in the top part of my illustration, where you see a very divine Brown woman, hands open free, surrounded by a lot of light and beauty just like our peoples. I believe that it is the faith and spirit of Black and Brown people that continues to sustain our existence and resistance.” -Francis Mead @girasoulll Connect with this: Connect with this artist: girasoulll.tumblr.com/ #EndFamilyDetention #Not1More #art4 #artforchange #borderlands #immigration #undocumented

[visionsfromtheinside]

“There is no medical attention unless they can no longer walk or get up from bed.” Excerpt from Lorena’s letter

Artist statement: “My letter is from a very strong and resilient woman named Lorena, who has been in the Irwin Detention Center for 7 months [at the time the letter was received]. In her letter she describes the oppressive, unjust and unsafe conditions that she has had to endure while being there, such as abuse from the guards, and other inmates, and a lack of medical attention for all the women. She says Latina women suffer the most abuse and are given no support to complain because they speak spanish. I wanted to reflect these unjust conditions in my illustration to give a voice to Lorena and all the women, who feel powerless in their situation. The bottom three  panels of my illustration depict a lot of restriction and dark colors to reflect the prison cells they are forced to live within. I drew prison bars as the United States flag. This flag is often presented as a symbol of freedom, which hides the fact that the U.S. government is actually a police state, incarcerating more Black, Brown and migrant peoples than any other place in the world. What stood out to me in the letter though was Lorena’s strength and love of sisterhood. Her letter reflected so much empathy and compassion for her sisters detained with her. One line in particular she says “she is hopeful and knows there is a God and that these abuses will end especially against Latina women who do not speak English because they suffer the most abuse.”  I was inspired by her faith in the conditions changing for her and her sisters, and I wanted to depict that in the top part of my illustration, where you see a very divine Brown woman, hands open free, surrounded by a lot of light and beauty just like our peoples. I believe that it is the faith and spirit of Black and Brown people that continues to sustain our existence and resistance.” -Francis Mead

Connect with this artist: Facebook Instagram Website

Visions From The Inside is a collaborative project between visual artists and detained migrants at the Karnes Detention Center.