Sacred Gallery NYC is pleased to announce: Damien Echols’ Moving Forward; Looking Back
Opening Reception: Saturday, January 5, 2013 8:00 – 11:00 PM
Artist Statement:
These pieces of art are all things I created from my cell on death row, where I spent 18 years for a crime I did not commit. During that time, I had to scavenge for any supplies I got, often bartering for them in the prison underground.
I eventually received ordination in the Rinzai tradition of Japanese Buddhism. This is the same tradition that trained the samurai in ancient Japan. It was this background which was the driving force behind much of my artwork. Most of it was the result of me attempting to turn my cell into a shrine, where I would practice meditation from 5 to 7 hours a day.
Most of the pieces I created over the years were either given to friends as gifts of gratitude or destroyed by vindictive prison guards. These pieces are all that remain of my 18 years in Hell.
This collection will showcase a series of drawings, collage works and a set of craft items Damien made while in prison. Both originals and prints will be available for purchase.
About Damien Echols:
Damien Echols is best known as part of the wrongfully imprisoned West Memphis Three. Echols has been well-documented in books, films, songs and more. After his release in August of 2011, after 18 years on death row, Echols got the chance to document it himself in his just-released memoir, Life After Death: a frustrating, honest and surprisingly joyful account of a life lived under trying circumstances.
This Exhibition’s opening reception is not open to the public. Visit Brown Paper Tickets to purchase tickets for $10.00 each. A portion of the ticket sales will be donated to Dharma Friends Prison Outreach Project.
About Dharma Friends Prison Outreach:
Dharma Friends Prison Outreach Project is under the umbrella of our non-profit foundation, COMPASSION WORKS FOR ALL which helps to support and promote those efforts that benefit the most forgotten and most disenfranchised in our world. All of our projects support the teaching and development of compassion as the most effective tool to bring healing to the world. More info on Dharma Friends can be found at. http://dharmafriendsprisonoutreachproject.com/