Diamond Young’s new show, ‘Southeast Shine’, is set to open at Streetlight Guild on July 18. The exhibition features paintings that explore Young’s family and community, delving into themes of social and political factors that shape lives.

Exploring Family Bonds

Young’s paintings are rooted in her desire to explore and honor her family bonds. The works are based on photographs of her father, grandmother, sister, and cousins, among others. Through her art, Young aims to preserve aspects of her family story and explore the social commentary that arises from these relationships.

One example of this is the painting ‘Tell Me, What’s a Dollar Really Worth?’, which began as a portrait of Young’s cousin and his friend setting fire to a dollar bill. However, after the two were arrested, Young made subtle changes to the work, incorporating snippets of text and growing the story to speak to the ways people from underserved communities are negatively impacted by generations of neglect.

Community and Social Commentary

Similar ideas are threaded throughout the striking ‘To Be Free’, which reflects the disparate paths that blood relatives can be driven down by collective forces. The portrait depicts Young’s father alongside his cousin, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison for a crime he committed at age 19.

Young’s exhibition also explores the tension between the damages wrought by deep-rooted societal ills and the sense of safety she always felt at home. This is reflected in her decision to often portray herself as a child in her paintings, a time when she felt happiest and most hopeful.

Original reporting: Matter News (Columbus) — read the source article.