The Black Gallery powered by DSPDX is proud to present a solo exhibit by Malique Pye, Still Life of Lives Made Still, an oil painting series created to memorialize those lost to racial violence, vigilantism and police brutality.

Opening Reception on First Thursday
February 1 from 5 to 7pm
The Black Gallery
916 NW Flanders Street Portland, OR 97209

This exhibit will serve as a living memorial space as we invite community members to share names, images and photos of loved ones who are no longer with us. 

Ahmaud Arbery, 2020, Malique Pye

Still Life for Lives Made Still 
Artist Statement by Malique Pye:

“I’ve often found myself wondering where I am supposed to be. Within my communities, friends, family, and home. Growing up I looked for my place in art constantly, not just as a Black kid but also as a Black artist. I always felt I lacked representation but more importantly, Black people lacked representation. In school I was only taught about Black artists, and mainly during February; the Harlem Renaissance artists, musicians, and writers. It wasn’t until I entered high school where I learned of Jean-Michel Basquiat, after him there were no other Black artists I learned about that I can recall. At the same time I began to find my preference of an art genre that I came to hone, Academic style. A style of art that was seen to represent the highest of fine art and wealth, but never showed Black or Brown people. Especially with the still life subject paintings, a medium I was required to do in school. But every composition I created lacked emotion and energy to me. I did not get the appeal of painting foods, silverware, or kitchenware; and how it was revered so highly by the art world. 

Throughout my life, and still to this day, I have seen, heard of, and experienced acts of racism. During the Black Lives Matter movement I was mentally at one of the lowest, most anxious and depressed points of my life. I was constantly filled with rage and sadness because I felt like I could do nothing. I was constantly seeing people who looked like me, my brother, my mother, sister, and whole family, on the news because they were murdered for being Black. I was overwhelmed with the reality that on any given day, any one of us could potentially be on the news next. I was also, and still am, upset with how fast the media moved on to the next ‘story’, with society following suit shortly after.

I took the emotions I was feeling yet unable to verbalize and began to paint. I want to bring remembrance and representation to these paintings, and I want the ‘high art society’ to see them. This is the one of several reasons I created the still life series. 

Firstly, I am declaring that the still life genre is not only for wealthy white Europeans, and to show representation of Black people. The objects I am choosing to show are to represent people who were murdered due to racism - from police, white supremacist vigilantes, and pure evil. The objects depicted in these paintings are what the person is most remembered for and is a physical depiction of the trivial “reason” their life was taken.

These works are to be seen as memorials, as these lives are not to be seen as moments. These lives lost deserve to be respected and remembered for more than the few weeks the media covered the news of their murders. 

We are still being targeted and murdered. There is unfortunately an ongoing list of names that can be added and lives that need to be represented.

I want you to walk away from these images with understanding, these objects are ‘why’ a life was taken. How long did you remember them? Say their names. Write their names. Learn their stories. Learn OUR stories.”