In many ways, the story of Fulton Leroy Washington sounds like the plot of a movie. A man, wrongfully convicted for a non-violent drug offense, serves a life sentence in prison, pouring the pain and injustice of his predicament into a series of masterful paintings. Unfortunately, nothing about this reality is fictional, with Washington being just one of the victims of a catastrophically broken system.
Upon being granted clemency by Barack Obama after twenty-one years of incarceration, Mr.Wash was able to retrieve his freedom and to bring his art out into the open. His series, “Incaptivity”, showcases emotional portraits of felons and cultural figures, their strong, pensive faces often embellished with tears. The work is a powerful commentary on the urgency of a criminal justice reform, shining a light on those held captive for crimes they did not commit.
Recently, THE SKATEROOM had the honor of creating a limited number of skate art editions for Mr.Wash’s opening at the Jeffrey Deitch gallery in Los Angeles. The editions are now available to both admire and purchase directly in our online store.
