The Weight Can’t Crush Our Strength! by Shawna Lacoste
Medium: Graphite pencil on tan media board
Dimensions: 9 x 12
Artist Statement: All of us who are incarcerated have felt the weight that the DOC imposes on us. We remain strong, sometimes barely able to hold this weight, yet we do not crumble. The weight that we carry is depicted as stone and etched in that stone are the various things we feel and experience physically, emotionally, and mentally. the stone of the DOC is not perfect - it's distressed and falling apart. We remain strong, united together, carrying this burden.
Image description: Graphite pencil drawing on brown kraft paper. An extremely muscular masculine figure in a body builder pose, kneels while flexing one biceps. With the other arm, the figure holds up the letters “DOC” which appear to be carved from stone. Many words are etched onto the DOC letters, including: Weak, Suffocated, Silenced, Worthless, Forgotten, Suicidal, Hated, Fear, Sad, Panic, Ugly, Hopeless, Darkness, Unworthy, Violated, Guilt, Isolated, Misery, Empty, Shame, Defeated, Dirty, Rejected, Lost, Heavy, Depression, Stress, Time, Mule, Buried, Nothing, Overwhelmed, Dispensible, Stupid, Exhausted, Frustrated, Hurt, Sick, Crazy, Ignored, Overlooked, Anxiety, and Terrified.