Tremica Henry
I was induced early. I had the baby six weeks early to not have her born in a federal prison. I had a three-year-old daughter who had never left my side, not for a moment, and I remember her asking me, ‘Are you coming back?’… I always wanted to be there for my children, like nobody had been there for me. Being that person, took all that away in an instant. I didn’t see them for ten months.
Artist Statement
This piece is inspired by the story of Tremica Henry. It is a symbol of her beauty, courage, and strength.
Because most Pop Art depicts stories of white suburbia life, I felt it was important to tell Tremica’s story in a space where generally, women of color are not represented. When creating this piece, I used inspiration from Roy Lichtenstein because his style has not depicted women of color who are incarcerated.
The child in the painting represents Tremica's children and the separation that mothers endure while being imprisoned. The cloud formation over the Superdome is a symbol of the devastation Hurricane Katrina brought at the time of Tremica’s incarceration, and the use of teal color surrounding the dome represents the horrific flooding from the storm.
Tremica, 2018