The Cage 3839 by Yuri Kadamov (Jurijus Kadamovas)
Medium: Mixed media
Size: 16 x 24 inches
Artist statement: “I am a Lithuanian citizen under a sentence of death for crimes I did not commit, as the result of an unfair trial replete with false testimony and misleading arguments. My case is currently on appeal. I am the only citizen of any European Union nation to be on U.S. federal death row. I have been in solitary confinement since March 2003.
The damage inflicted by solitary confinement cannot be undone or reversed, but a remedy for this form of torture must be provided. Albert Camus wrote that no one could imagine a more cold-blooded, premeditated murder than to hold a man in a solitary cell for years, and then on a certain date, at a certain time, take him out of that cell and kill him.
I am asking you to sign my petition, “End Solitary Confinement on Federal Death Row.”
Prior to my incarceration, I was a musician; I played in a few bands as a drummer. But, once behind bars, I had to find an alternative for my creativity, so I took up drawing and painting. I would be mentally starving without an outlet for my artistry. It is my art that keeps me grounded and sane.
It is difficult to say from where I draw my inspiration when I draw or paint. I live all day long in a 7-foot wide by 10-foot long prison cell. My window is frosted over so that, although I can tell when the sun rises and sets, I am unable to actually gaze upon these natural events. By and large, my only interaction with the outside world comes by way of a small television. Still, while my physical world is limited, my mental world has no borders or walls.”
Artist website: https://www.yurikadamov.com/
Image description: Outline of cage bars with an eye in one square, and geometric shapes enclosed by or spanning across other squares.