Black Men Don't Hang Themselves From Trees - Residency

Black Men Don't Hang Themselves From Trees 

2026

Acrylic on board

5" H x 7" W

Much speculation has been given to whether the recent uptick in Black men found dead in trees is a result of self-harm or external violence. Within the Black community, there is a definitive saying: “Black men don’t hang themselves from trees.” This piece depicts Black men hanging from a tree in picture frames - a visual entendre I used to physically manifest this communal truth. In doing so, this work repositions the inquiry through the logic of curation: we universally agree that a picture does not hang itself. It requires an intentional hand, a specific placement, and a deliberate choice. By treating the tree as a gallery and the subject as a curated object, the question shifts from the cause of death to the identity of the curator.