Kinship

This piece is about how we create and build families, including chosen families. Families include grandparents, elders, uncles, aunties, and close friends with whom we establish life-long bonds. The two primary figures in this piece are a grandmother and an older brother. The older brother has just returned from the grocery store and he stands next to his grand-mother, who is speaking to her grandson who is incarcerated.

The grandmother is smiling as she listens to the words, concerns, and joys of her young family member. The older brother patiently waits to speak to his younger brother. A baby is reaching out as he tries to also join the conversation, moved by the voice heard through the telephone. The older brother has just returned from work and is getting ready to prepare a wholesome meal for the family.

This piece was commissioned by the Alameda County Arts Commission and is one of three works about how families cope with the incarceration of young family members. The other prints are titled, Sustenance and Transition.