In a 2025 interview for the Cerebral Women podcast, Baton Rouge-based artist Will Maxen said, “I like to think about color as this emotional power and how we can relate to color: either enhance it, simplify it, or keep it in [a] neutral state.” Colors’ ability to evoke physical sensations and emotional states emerges clearly in i wish there were more colored people, in particular. Drippy washes of color suggest sinking, while thin, transparent washes summon bleakness or feelings of longing. Leggy flowers growing from a saturated corner of the canvas perhaps allude to the potential for growth that exists even in desolate environments, or the possibility of thriving in isolation. Stenciled onto the canvas are the words "wish there were more colored people." They appear faintly in three sections of the painting, partially concealed by the washes in some areas. The ghostly text hints at the process of finding one’s voice amid inhospitable surroundings.

- Andrea Lucrecia Richardson