This painting appears as the cover of an audio work released on June 2. Serving as both image and entry point, it is a social commentary not only on the hope we place in community but also on the accountability required of us as its members.

The work builds on the writings of George Jackson—Dragon, philosopher, and revolutionary abolitionist—particularly a letter to his mother in which he reflects: “The school systems are gauged to teach youth what to think, not how to think.” In this passage, Jackson sought to illuminate how his carceral fate was not simply the result of parental guidance, but rather the structural violence of an educational system that shaped generations.

Students from Adeniyi’s program, The Story From Within, engaged this letter as part of their own creative process, using it to frame the context for their paintings titled Grow Where You Are Planted. In both visual and sonic form, the works insist on the need to think critically about the systems that enclose us—and the radical possibilities of planting new roots within and beyond them.

30% of this sale is donated to The Fields food and housing relief fund

Published by Keshad Adeniyi, 2024

please allow 2 - 4 weeks for production

with love