Dwayne Erik Green Portrait of Dwayne Erik Green by Joe Brenman

From the artist Joe Brenman: I was thankful for the opportunity to meet and speak with Darnetta Green Mason, Dwayne Erik Green’s mother. She expressed the deep love she has for Erik and told me about his interest in sports and cars. She also spoke of some of the difficulties he had growing up in our city where so many guns are available. She was constantly worried about him and did what she could to protect him. Since his passing she has been active through Mothers in Charge in trying to make a change to get the guns off our streets. She’s a very inspiring person in a quiet forceful way.

Creating this portrait of Dwayne Erik Green was both a challenging and rewarding experience. I used the medium of collage and paint looking to capture the person his mom described and who I saw in the beautiful photo she shared with me. It was an honor to do this portrait of Erik.

From the curator: The medium of collage imbues this portrait with vibrations of life. Joe was so excited about bringing this young man’s story to the public. He was a passionate supporter of the project. Sadly, Joe passed away not long after the portrait was finished. He was able to see it in the exhibition in several venues. Darnetta Green Mason stood and spoke about his kindness and generous spirit at his funeral. Her son’s portrait hung in the next room at Mishkan Shalom Synagogue at the time. Joe and Erik are missed.

Dwayne Erik Green Portrait of Dwayne Erik Green by Joe Brenman collage and paint 28”x22”2018