Rise Up! by Running River Banks

Auction Page for this Piece

Artist Statement: I initially titled the piece "Stand Up" because it shows an enslaved African man with whips on his back breaking the chains that once binded him and beginning to rise and stand up. I wanted this piece to be controversial and also meaningful. I think I captured that essence with detailing the Power to the People fist with the words "Reparations Now" written across them. The part of the drawing I love the most is I have two Native American men with the American Indian Movement insignia attached pulling down a statue of Christopher Columbus as the Gods eye watches through the scales of measure. It's also pretty neat how the sepent snake softly but defiantly stands out in the background, coiled around the divine fruit from the tree of knowledge, the once forbidden fruit. The drawing was done with pen and pencll, enhanced with oil extracted from a deoderant. It's truely one of a kind. But as I said, leave the perspective up to the viewer because there's a lot to capture within the piece and it may be different person to person.