Adam Young is a watercolor artist with some experience in graphite as well. He just completed a sentence in the Federal Prison System, where he found his love for art and creativity. He has the drive to keep painting as often as possible.

Born, raised, educated, and graduated from Chicago’s South Side, author and artist Bednago Harper developed a spark of interest in the creative arts during his elementary years. His flicker of interest erupted into a raging fire somewhere around the time he reached high school, and the fire has burned throughout the years, leaving in its wake a definitive creative output distinctly reflective of this man’s artistic legacy. 

Through Bednago’s brush, you will find real surrealism artwork that pays deserving respect to Classic Rock, Country, Jazz, and Old School R&B artists past and present. Portraits are his speciality. 

Bednago has published several books. All of his writings are drawn from true-life experiences, which he hopes will be utilized as identifiable vessels of learning and growth to readers on all levels, and all walks of life. Above all, he hopes his books are interpreted as reflections of the Black Experience in Urban America as opposed to the traditional urban novel. 

Visit Bednago’s FB page here. His books can be found here.

"Regardless of what I’m painting, I really hope the viewer is left with some sort of impact. Be it a prison themed work or free world subject. I attempt to make you see it a little differently, maybe even better than the original. My favorite styles of work are both impressionism and pop art. Where I love the style of more impressionist art, I find the subject matter boring at times. The pop art genre I like because of the identifiable items, with the simplifying in technique, be it silks screens or brand name objects, and just the plain audacity of the genre. My favorite artist is Edward Hopper, not only because of the use of acrylic, but because of the light and dark play in most of his work, with the illusion of detail also in play."

Brian is a contributing artist and writer with the Prison Journalism Project, helps to lead a gardening program, teaches introductory painting classes, and has contributed artwork to numerous exhibitions and publications. 

“My name is Carla J. Simmons and I am serving my 20th year of a life sentence in the state of Georgia. I come from a long line of self-taught artists and from a young age connected with art as an extension of my voice and a method of survival. Through it I am able to contribute to our culture and share my experience as a person whose life, and family, have been forever altered, and damaged, by the carceral system.”

Cedar Annenkovna is a citizen of planet Earth with roots indigenous to it. She was born by the sea amid political turmoil and revolution. Her mind and soul have been an instrument to art in some shape or form manifest throughout many lifetimes. From the beginning she has produced artistic creations utilizing whatever mediums she could access from stone sculpture to linen coffee paintings. Later while attending Brooklyn International Academy in NY she made an impact with her art in many different circles. She expanded her technique to trains, buildings, backdrops for theater, art shows, and other social gatherings. She also learned to airbrush graphics on her friends’ lowriders. After graduating she studied abroad, earning a degree in biology and later culinary ethics and nutritional supplementation. Through study these also became forms of artistic expression added to her repertoire. Cedar’s mission, as human and artist, is to develop deeper understanding, joie de vivre, and compassion as time transgresses. Cedar’s case was recently overturned by the Colorado Supreme Court on the grounds of wrongful conviction. After 6 years in prison she is now free to pursue her dreams and aspirations.

Her artwork and poetry have been featured in exhibitions and publications nationwide and internationally including: Marking Time: Art in the Era of Mass Incarceration curated by Nicole Fleetwood, multiple venues from MoMA PS1, New York, to Toronto, Canada (2019-2024); Ending The Exception [To the 13th Amendment], Philly Mural Arts Project, Peoples Plaza Philadelphia (2023); The President Portrait Project, Lincoln’s Cottage Museum, Washington, D.C. (2024); 1st place poetry and art in Picture a Free World Art Show, Concept Gallery, Pittsburgh, PA (2023 and summer 2024) with a cover design feature in Let’s Get Free and Daughters Magazine; Play It Louder—Abolitionist Sanctuary & Solitary Gardens: Amplifying Carceral Realities and Abolition Futures, Public Promotions and Cover Design, New Orleans, (2023); Painting Ourselves Into Society, Berkeley Art Center, (September 21st 2024 – January 12th, 2025).

Please follow Cedar on IG at @annenkovna and contribute to her GoFundMe here. Cedar can be reached at [email protected] and is available for commissions, speaking engagements, and advocacy efforts. 

Chad is an artist from Mesa, AZ, whose main mediums are painting and writing, with particular attention to ink painting and poetry. 

“I have seen and exercised the darkest part of my nature, I've revealed and encouraged the demons of others. I know the thrill and taste of blood and have learned that the world only owns one thing worthy of fear - the darkness of self. 

Whichever direction you go - into the dark or into the light - you must master yourself. We who have the capacity to delve the darkest depths mirror that capacity in our ability to pursue the lofty throne of greatness. Because of this, darkness which leads one to hunger for the light, is the greatest of pursuits. This is my journey, I continue to climb from the realm of self-despise, and through the medium of my art, seek a liberation that only a very few can know - in the absence of pitch black darkness, light owns no meaning. 

I am the epitome of killing one's self to live where agony and bliss show themselves to be identical in the intersections of existence. That is where my art comes from and it's why tortured souls like Cobain, Cornell, Doc, X, - are most often the medium of my expression. One paints what he knows and if I know anything, I know self-torture and despise. I paint to liberate myself, to know I can create beauty as well as despair.”

Chad is featured in an online exhibition and blog post through Bader + Simon Gallery.

See more of Chad’s artwork here and follow him on IG @chadmerrillart.

“Emotions are the universal language.

My art reaches into the human soul, where the deepest emotions reside. I aim to evoke strong responses in my viewers and provide them with a vessel in which they can sit with their feelings.

To achieve this, I first search my own bank of traumas and experiences. Each piece I create is an extension of my soul. I pour my life, mind, heart, and emotions onto the canvas, allowing the composition, color choice, and subject matter to reveal my worldview and tell my story.

I gravitate toward a hyper realistic style to bring a sense of relatability and understanding to my work. This style also aligns with my detailed nature and personality. What first captures the eye is the realization that my work closely resembles photographs. I hope that this initial emotional experience opens the door to further exploration of wonder and curiosity.

In a world of indifference and a constant striving for individuality, people can forget that we are all bound together. Although some may be forgotten, everyone still has the same inherent worth. I invite viewers to engage with my work, seeking similarities between us. I offer an opportunity to connect with all others through our shared experience of human emotions.”

Cuong (Mike) Tran (b. 1980) is a first-generation Vietnamese-American. His parents immigrated to the U.S. in 1975 after their homeland was devastated by war. At age five, unable to afford store-bought toys, Mike began crafting his own action figures from paper and cardboard. Mike found that entering into an imaginary world was a way to escape his abusive environment. It was not until Covid that he began a serious self study in painting. Mike’s art has been instrumental in his healing process. It has allowed him to open to extraordinary levels of self-honesty, transcend dystopia and make reparations.

Mike currently resides in a “gated community” called “California Men’s Colony State Prison.” Despite severe restrictions, Mike’s artistry demonstrates proficiency as well as the resilience of the human spirit. Working in a 3’ x 11’ cell, he often transforms discarded, overlooked and inexpensive art materials into expressions (both paintings and 3 dimensional forms) with great proficiency. “By using materials often seen as ‘inferior,’ I am reclaiming my dignity,”

In addition to being an artist, Mike is a nationally certified Substance Abuse Counselor.

Mike’s work is featured in an online exhibition at Bader + Simon, and he was interviewed for their podcast, B+S With Friends. 

IG @crucible118

Mike welcomes letters and is eager to connect with other artists! He can be reached via the GTL GettingOut app or by snail mail:
Cuong (Mike) Tran A-L3711
CMC East Facility, Cell 3307
PO Box 8103
San Luis Obispo, CA, 93409-8101

Follow Douglas on IG @douglasearlsart and visit his website to see more of his work. 

Gary Farlow holds a Juris Doctorate from Thomas Jefferson College of Law at Heed University. He completed undergraduate studies at Western Illinois University. He is a two time winner of the PEN America Writing Award for Prison Writers, in 2002 and 2018. His previous works include, “Prison-ese: A Survivor’s Guide to Prison Slang,” “The Cellblock Gourmet: Inmate Recipes from the Big House to Your House,” “Doin’ Time: How to Survive and Thrive in Prison,” and “Fragments of a Dream: The Poetry of Gary Farlow.”

Mr. Farlow’s art has been exhibited in Washington, DC and Silver Spring, MD, at Cornell University in the Durland Library, and the Open Sky Gallery in San Francisco.

Drawing inspiration from impressionist landscape artist Claude Monet, and the realism of artist Edward Hopper, Farlow focuses on urbanscapes, highlighting architecture and cities. A life-long artist, Farlow’s medium is colored pencil, and he studies under artists Arthur Rogers and Christopher Reid. 

Born in 1981, Jesse’s artistic journey began at the age of 12, when drawing became a sanctuary and a way to navigate a complex world. Now at 44, his work reflects a life deeply impacted by hardship and resilience, demonstrating how creativity can bloom even in the face of adversity.

Through compelling abstractions, Jesse’s art invites viewers to witness his unique perspective and the transformative power of the human spirit. His past experiences have shaped his vision, turning challenges into sources of creative strength and reflection.

His journey, which has included periods of incarceration, has infused his work with a powerful narrative of introspection, perseverance, and the ongoing quest for redemption. His work is a testament to the enduring nature of his artistic passion and his commitment to using his experiences to create meaningful and impactful art.

Juan Hernandez was born and raised in Chicago. His artwork has been exhibited at Angelica Kaufman Gallery, Art in Odd Places, and The Design Museum of Chicago, amongst others. His writing has appeared in publications such as Prison Journalism Project and Teen Vogue, and he has received support from The Pu’a Foundation and the National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures.

WBEZ Chicago recently published a story about Juan. Read it here. 

Juan can be contact using Corrlinks messaging and via snail mail:

Juan Hernandez K84686
Dixon Correctional Center
2600 N Brinton Ave
Dixon, IL 61021

JustArts' inaugural group exhibition brings together the work of 18 artists, each creating in their own unique style, medium, and perspective. While their approaches and experiences vary, their work reveals powerful threads of connection—shared struggles, perseverance, and the universal human drive to create. Through this collection, we invite you to not only witness the individuality of each artist but also reflect on the ways we are all linked through art, expression, and the desire to be seen and heard. 
March - July 2025

Each custom design in the Kenneth Reams Collection is crafted from high-quality leather and reflects artistic craftsmanship, thoughtful detailing, and distinctive character. Every finished piece speaks for itself through its careful design and unique story.

View more of Kenneth's artwork here. 

Obie Weathers III is the artist formerly working under the pseudonym Moyo – Swahili for “heart”.

Obie, who as a teenager was arrested and sentenced to death, has spent the last 23 years in solitary confinement on Texas Death Row.

Using found material and media acquired anyway he can, his work emerges from a dim hole in American culture, arriving with the visions of what it is like to be poor, Black, hopeful and sentenced to death in the 21st century.

The existential, political and spiritual themes of his work are often filtered through the Buddhist and yogic practices which have helped heal and sustain him through years of isolation.

“I try to make use of discarded or ignored bits in my art because we all have something worthwhile for another, we just have to find it – and it took me coming to death row to find my worth as a human and as a citizen of the world. 

I have committed some grave acts in my life and I will never be able to undo them. Yet the very least I can do is to improve myself.

It is my hope that someone else will also take control of their narrative and tell themselves a new tale, a grander story of themselves. For all of our benefit.”

More of Obie’s artwork and words can be viewed here and here. 

Contact Obie using Securus or via snail mail:

TX Dep’t of Criminal Justice
Obie Weathers #999396
PO Box 660400
Dallas TX 75266-0400

Inquiries can also be sent to [email protected].

I'm a 49 year old author of a soon to be published book serving a life sentence for murder. I grew up hard and I grew up fast. I come from a broken home, I had early aspirations and dreams of one day being a USMC. I got into trouble as a juvenile doing a roof burglary in a RadioShack. I got in trouble again, a good friend pressed charges on me for burglary of habitation and use of an unauthorized motor vehicle. I eventually revoked and they gave me my first bid of 7 yrs. 

I got out of prison at 23, got a really good job building mobile homes. I thought I'd caught the tiger by the tail and I was on top of the world. Well I was still lost, empty, and  broken inside. I grew up gang banging, selling drugs, stealing, searching for a real identity. My dad was a biker, drugs and alcohol, violence took the place of what kids need to be grounded, hurt people hurt other people, my mess is my message to you readers everything that glitters don't shine. When I got this murder case I was still lost, empty, and broken, no direction in life. I got involved with gangs and was a leader which landed me in ad-seg for 10 yrs. I grew very passionate about art and I started doing greeting cards  and trying to learn how to do portraits. I got out of seg, I started walking with a new purpose, when you feed your mind with knowledge you start to grow, you build a tool box, your old way of thinking goes by the wayside. 

Doors start to open, you can't get in trouble reading a book, artwork, writing, exercising to keep your body fed. This becomes a routine, you develop skills that will and can open doors to success. If we can get out of our own way sometimes! I finally got my GED, got into the Craftshop doing leather work, this is something that I've always wanted to do so now there is nothing that I can't make or learn how to make. I've always been crafty with my hands, being creative opens a new can of worms so if you have ideas of customized work, color schemes, size I can bring your vision to the next level. If you would like to reach out to me I won't let you down.

R. Zumar is a self taught artist who discovered the power of art in prison.

At the time I really was numb to the world. From 13 up to 24 I was raised by the prison system. And at 25 I had been sentenced to do 62 years and 9 months in VADOC. My introduction to art came from me feeling like how I learned to live was not what it was cracked out to be, no pun intended. So at Sussex 1 State Prison I decided to change how I was living. To be different than what I was and who people assumed I would always be. The decision to draw a leopard out of a National Geographic magazine is what led me here today. To me art is more than a hobby or something done just to waste time while I'm in prison. It is the numbness inside of me laid to rest and the awakening of my soul. It's the creation of something beautiful or provocative or both. It surpasses languages and can touch someone on the other side of the world. It's pieces of me revealed.

"I can be inspired by just about anything when putting pieces together. So much of art is realized by what happens around us. When I see a tragic event on the news, I'll think about how to bring some sort of artistic closure to it. Even when I see positive happenings out there, I'll get the wheels turning in my head.

I hope viewers will see ME through the art. What I mean by that is: I've worked so hard to try and recuse myself of the negative connotations associated with my prison sentence. I committed a crime that I'm ashamed of but I know that crime isn't a definition of who I truly am. My art can be that. It can be a visual of my hard work to be a genuinely better human being."

Accomplishments:

• Class of '99 graduate of Seventy-First High School in Fayetteville, NC

• Class of '22 graduate of the College at Southeastern with a Bachelor's in Pastoral Ministry w/ Emphasis on Adult Counseling

• Graduated as the first practicing Muslim to complete the NC Field Minister program @ Nash Correctional Institution in December '22

• Artwork featured in exhibits like "Incarceration and Creation: Art as a Human Need" (2021), " Degrees of Separation" (2022), "Sotto Voce" (2022), and "Emergence" (2022)

• Eager to accept commissions for graphite drawings specifically

• Am always ready to do speaking engagements via telephone interviews due to incarceration limitations. Have already recorded various episodes for the Prison Pod podcast hosted by Valerie Cartonio as well as other outlets. Interviews based around prison experiences (life as an ex-gang member in prison, the care and love I have for my faith [Islam] as a Muslim, art as a therapeutic need in the carceral environment, etc.)

• Am very encouraged to engage kids with the intention of steering them away from gangs and prison in general as a result of my own experiences.