36 Winters

While many great figures have their stories told through biopics, I chose a different path—painting my own. 36 Winters is a visual journal of my life, with each piece representing a distinct feeling or emotion from different periods. These are not self-portraits, but embodiments of who I was in those moments.

This exhibition unearths old wounds while celebrating past joys. It’s my way of honoring Black boyhood and manhood—supporting our pain, championing our mental health, and acknowledging the everyday pressures we carry. I confront parts of my past I once felt embarrassed about: being misdiagnosed with learning disabilities, repeating a grade, navigating young fatherhood, and the complexities of relationships.

36 Winters is an honest reckoning—a celebration and a testimony. Through these paintings, I invite you into the lived experience of a Black man, told with vulnerability and truth.