Dyshon in the Water

From Sharon Smith, Dyshon’s mother: Dyshon Garner was the youngest son of three boys. He was quiet around people he didn’t know. Only people close to him were able to see the silly side of him. He loved music and his family. Music would be playing from the time he woke up until he went to bed. This led to him writing and rapping as his persona “ShizzyRaw”. He had two children Saiir and Saniyah. He would be so excited by all the little things they did. He would be snapping and videoing to capture it all. To know Shon was to love him and we love and miss him very much.

From Jennifer Coburn, the artist: When Dyson’s mother, Sharon Smith, described a pile of photos of Dyshon surrounded by the people he loved, three things seemed crystal clear: Dyshon loved his family; he was entralled by his beautiful children; and he was a peace in a pool or in the ocean. In this portrait, I try to portray his kind, playful spirit.

From the Laura Madeleine, curator: As with all of the portraits, it is truly a shame not to be able to see this in person. The format that Jennifer chose for this painting, a relatively small kind of slice of what could be a larger image, projects the peace that she describes coming through while seeing the photos with his mom and talking with her. A calm is portrayed through the repeated motifs that created the gentle motion of the water. The beautiful stretched out S shape of his arms frames his face with it’s calm and gentle expression as the focal point of the painting. While we set out to focus on the lives with the portraits it is also wonderful when an artist can capture that and also convey a sense of peace in these tributes.

Dyshon in the Water, Portrait of Dyshon Garner by Jennifer Coburn, acrylic paint on wood panel, 12”x24”x1” 2019