Each day, we experience another death, another tragedy, another loss of life to violence, and we have no answers. There are many people–good people–working to help families and the community cope with the hurt and pain that comes with loss, particularly tragic loss.
As we at Scoop try to support our communities, victims, and families, we have partnered with Zarinah Lomax and The Apologues to respect those we have lost by sharing portraits and brief introductions into the lives of the families that The Apologues’ has featured.
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Artist: Ock the Artist
Untitled, Acrylic on canvas
Co-victim: Crystal Arthur
Victim: Kristian Hamilton Arthur
Artist Statement: I am blessed and extremely honored to represent the families and co-victims of my community through my art.
Kristian Hamilton Arthur was murdered on July 15, 2017, at 28 years old in the 2100 block of Fitzwater Street in South Philadelphia.
Crystal says: Losing Kristian, her only son, has been devastating. “I miss my son so much. I call him my love child. I love everything about him. In my eyes, he’s perfect.”
What is The Apologues?
The Apologues (under the fiscal sponsorship of the Federation of Neighborhood Centers) is a fashion and art exhibit that uses the arts to assist individuals in healing, empowering themselves, and advocating against gun violence and trauma that plague urban communities. Through the use of fashion, art, and music, The Apologues honors the emotions of untreated trauma through the realm of storytelling to trigger healing. We do this through the combination of self-portraits of victims and co-victims, wearable art, and musical experiences combined.
For more information and to support this initiative, visit our website, https://www.theapologues.org
