Black Lives Matter

About This Series

This series of paintings was inspired by the 2020/21 wave of Black Lives Matter protest in Portland, Oregon and in other states within the United States.

I'm originally from the Caribbean. When I first came to America for my studies at the University of Oregon, one of my interests was American History, so I’m fully aware of the deep racism throughout its society and the extreme difficulty and futility in thinking it can be easily cut out.

As a young man I thought it was easier to simply avoid racial trouble by ignoring the facts that surround me. However, as I grew older, over time I’ve learned that racism cannot and must not be ignored.

Like many people, I felt very angry after George Floyd was murdered by the police. The fact that it was recorded for the world to see made all the difference. I was angry and wanted to let out some steam without participating in violence. I decided to channel my anger into the thing I had total control over… which is the creation of my art. I had lots of ideas, but felt the need to quickly bring them to life, so I decided to combine traditional art with digital art. This approach is very immediate, in comparison to creating my oil paintings.

Emotionally, the creation of this series, was therapeutic for me, it allowed my mind to direct my creativity wherever it needed to flow…you are viewing the results.

I'm grateful I live in a time when I can express my opinion through my art without fear of death. I appreciate the Black Lives Matter movement for their efforts.

I believe that life is short, so love who you love and do good work. Try your best not to destroy the environment or deliberately hurt others.

Anthony Adonis Lewis

“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”