Self-Taught Artist Mr. Wash Speaks on His Pursuit of Art - 27 East

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Self-Taught Artist Mr. Wash Speaks on His Pursuit of Art

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Self-taught artist Mr. Wash will speak on his pursuit of art at The Church on March 16. COURTESY THE CHURCH

Self-taught artist Mr. Wash will speak on his pursuit of art at The Church on March 16. COURTESY THE CHURCH

authorStaff Writer on Feb 24, 2024

“Time is your most valuable asset,” says the artist named Mr. Wash, who taught himself to draw and paint while wrongfully incarcerated for 21 years, resulting in a body of work that remarkably evokes human emotions.

During a two-week residency at The Church in Sag Harbor, Mr. Wash will continue his painting practice and on Saturday, March 16, at 3 p.m. Mr. Wash will speak on his pursuit of art in a talk at The Church. Sentenced to life in prison in the late 1990s for nonviolent drug offenses he did not commit, Mr. Wash refined his craft eventually painting portraits of his fellow inmates, often depicting them as free men. In 2016, Mr. Wash was granted clemency by President Barack Obama and has since gained traction as an artist having shown both nationally and internationally.

At his March 16 talk, the artist will speak on his personal history, artistic journey, his first solo-exhibition at Jeffrey Deitch Gallery in Los Angeles (on view February 16 to March 30), and his experience with the Sag Harbor community.

Tickets are $10 (members free) at thechurchsagharbor.org. The Church is at 48 Madison Street in Sag Harbor.

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