Fred Hampton

Fred Hampton 36x48 Acrylic 2021

Fred Hampton was the chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party and deputy chairman of the national BPP organization. He was also the founder of the Rainbow Coalition, a multicultural antiracist organization that worked for social change. He was only twenty-one when he and Mark Clark were assassinated by an injustice system in 1969. Check out the movie, Judas and the Black Messiah, which inspired me to read more about Hampton.

Hampton was twenty when his mugshot was taken by the Chicago Police Department in 1968. What struck me about the mugshot was the affect of the flash on his flesh, and his youth. I overly emphasized the sharp edges in on his face rather than smoothing the harsh transitions cast by the light to create a mask-like portrayal. On the side profile, the left side of his head appears detached because of the line created by light. The dramatic shadows in the painting represent angst and duality. They represent scares he bore for his people. I stuck close to the black and white photo representation, as this country often “only” sees in black and white but Hampton had to be a very colorful and complex individual for he accomplished so much before his premature death. I hope this portrait and blog inspires you to read more about him.

The struggle continues.