Sculptures
These children lost to gun violence were sculpted in clay; each inspired and modeled from a single photo in a news story. The sculptures were then cast in bronze and mounted on steel bases to create enduring statements that these children were seen.
My name is Mekhi. I was shot and killed on June 6, 2020 when I was only three. Do you see me? It was Father’s Day and I had just gotten a barbershop haircut. My step-dad and I were riding home when I got shot in my car seat with a bullet to my back. My stepdad, also hit, was able to drive me to a hospital but I died. My family says I was a beautiful, well-mannered boy. Chicago, Il. See me.
Mekhi was the first child that I "saw" who had been killed by gun violence. The expression on his face demanded that I "see” him. The idea that he was killed right after a barbershop haircut immediately brought me back to my grandson's first haircut and the photos we took as proud grandparents. I could not forget Mekhi so I reached for my clay and tried to capture him from that one photo in the news article.
Bronze casting of Mekhi
Detail of bronze casting of Mekhi
My name is Trinity. I was shot and killed on August 14, 2020 when I was only three years old. Do you see me? I was in my house with my dad playing with my Frozen dollhouse. A bad man forced his way into our house and shot at us eleven times with his gun. My dad and I were both hit. A policeman picked me up and rushed me to the hospital in his car but I died. My dad died at the house. I wanted to be a princess when I grew up. I was very smart and wanted to be everybody’s mama. Louisville, KY. See Me.
Trinity's expression caught me in the same way that Mekhi's did. This beautiful little girl was killed by an intruder who came into her house and shot and killed both her and her dad. Her expression in the news photo demanded that I "see" her and sculpt the innocence that was Trinity. Her message was more of a request than a question - "See Me".
Bronze casting of Trinity
Detail of bronze casting of Trinity
