the so...

This piece was created specifically to be showcased during an official 2023 NBA All-Star event. I experimented with a few abstract styles that I admire but up until this point hadn't been free enough to incorporate them into my painting. Who knew how challenging a well-placed scribble could be? This canvas invited me to drop even deeper into flow and let go of everything outside of the current moment. As I painted, I processed the death of Tyre Nichols and grieved for my people. I processed the generational trauma and complicated relationship Black bodies have had with America since we were first imported here.

The title of this piece references a line from one of my favorite movies That Awkward Moment.  

Zac Efron’s character tells the audience, “Every relationship arrives at a critical moment, a junction, between moving forward or moving on. I call that moment the so.” He goes on to state that nothing good ever follows the word so (i.e., so where do you see this going, etc). I find myself yet again at a critical junction in my relationship to my country asking, so how will we move forward from this? So, how will I set a healthy boundary with non-Black coworkers and people who generally view racialized events differently? So, what healing is required for me to balance being Black and an American to maintain a healthy mental and emotional state? So…

“Andrea G. Hardeman creates art and poetry that strikes at the heart..”

Jayrod G.