Matthew Uyi (kinglaeri)

Title: IDENTITY; "HASSLE"

Medium: Charcoal and graphite on paper.

Size: 16" by 20"

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The systemic structure of man's understanding characterized by White male patriarchy over Black males to have the ability to negotiate the way in which they have been socialized and institutionalized to think, act and behave as men. The reality of race and the lack of diversity in the purest sense, impedes upon and cripples the black male's ability to truly transition into manhood. He is left to constantly struggle and fight for an identity, for power, for respect, and for understanding of who he is versus what he is projected as: "a NIGGER".All these misconceptions inconvenience the idea of an identity for the races, qualifying the title "HASSLE".

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Identity is the qualities, beliefs, personality or expressions that make a person, the fact of being who or what a person or thing is. One can regard the awareness and the categorizing of identity as constructive or as destructive.