Strangely Fruitful

"I heard through a certain vine, that there were some not-so-kind. Stories tell of how they hung many out to dry. Generations struggled yet still we got by. Swinging in that heat, over time our fruit became sweet. Became wise. To their surprise, our now-aged raisins improvised. Strange to them, we capitalized on given time and reseeded to reproduce. To become a sweeter, wiser, race of abundant delicious fruit."

A work of art partly inspired by Strange Fruit by Nina Simone. Nina Simone's "Strange Fruit" is a haunting protest song that condemns the brutal treatment of Black Americans in the United States, specifically addressing the issue of lynching and racial violence. The lyrics describe the horrific spectacle of bodies hanging from trees in the southern United States (the strange fruit), and Simone's powerful voice and delivery bring the deep pain and sorrow behind the song's message to life. The song remains a powerful commentary on the history of racial violence and discrimination in the United States and has become an anthem for the Civil Rights movement and the fight for racial justice.

Featured on the grapes are the faces of the following African American icons: Millie Jackson, Emmett Till, Ida B. Wells, Shirley Chisholm, Nina Simone, Jesse Owens, Paul Robeson, Redd Foxx, Martin Luther King Jr., Billie Holiday, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Langston Hughes, Rosa Parks, and the artist Edwin Lester.

Special Notes from the Artist:

• A carved hand from the tree of humanity.
• A noose made of vine. Faces of those who sacrificed yet accomplished during their careers, making it possible for newer generations to achieve greatness.
• The title “Strangely Fruitful ” written in the vines.
• The umbilical cord of new growth attached to the infant.

Limited edition. Offset Lithograph. Measures 36x19 inches. Ships signed and numbered by the artist and with a certificate of authenticity.