Nik Richard

A Dream Detained. 2022, Illustration print on aluminum composite.

Creatively interprets the experience of Alvin:

“It does a lot of harm to your family, mostly. Messes with you mentally while you in there, because there's a lot of days where I didn't feel like myself in there. I didn't want to be bothered, I didn't want to be talked to. When the court date got reset, that's when it really hit. When it just keep getting reset, reset, reset, that's when it really hit.”

Communicating the story of a Black man who has served time behind bars is a delicate task for an artist. I understand the need to depict the harrowing reality of the incarcerated experience—while at the same time, wanting to move away from traditional images of Black men behind bars, in chains, as a narrative. My practice as an illustrator allows me to be literal yet sensitive with my imagery, using subtle detailed lines and contrasting color.

Nik Richard (b. 1986, New Orleans, LA; based in New Orleans, LA) is a poet, illus-trator and urban planner. He designs temporary and perma-nent public art installations to empower local residents and neighborhoods, by amplifying the history of their spaces and reclaiming their influence on the urban landscape. Recently, Richard created outdoor murals for 3322 Lasalle St. and 4930 Washington Ave. In 2019, he completed a series of Corten steel sculptures for the Arts Council of New Orleans with Monica Rose Kelly called The Spirit of Lower Mid-City at 119 S. Galvez St. His work has also been featured by Paper Monuments, 2-Cent Entertainment, the Contemporary Art Center, and New Orleans African American Museum; and recognized with awards including a 2021 Joan Mitchell Center artist residency. Richard holds a Masters in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of New Orleans, and currently teaches advanced illustration at Loyola University. www.nikcurated.com

INSTAGRAM nik.curated