With his brushy and expressive figuration, Jammie Holmes (b. 1985; Thibodaux, LA) captures the texture and minutiae of Black life in the Deep South. His paintings fall somewhere between realistic depiction and raw abstraction, incorporating text, symbols, and objects rendered in an uncut style that mirrors a short transition from memory to canvas. Like many of his paintings, "Furs and Concrete" (2021) offers a layered view of blackness and pays attribute to the people he’s loved and lost. Through various symbols, he refutes black stereotypes and inserts personal experiences into the narratives of his work. Often referencing photographs from home, Holmes also draws heavily on his own recollection of moments and scenes and works quickly to translate his emotions to paint. Holmes confronts Black trauma and healing on a personal and national scale.