Ziy Ziy Man, Future Leader Portrait of Zakiyy Alford by Laura Madeleine

From Sonya Dixon, Zakiyy’s grandmother: Zakiyy was a sweet kind hearted young man always with a smile like sunshine that made people gravitate to him, young and old.

My Ziyziyman will forever be in my heart.

From the artist and curator Laura Madeleine: Zakiyy’s story was especially heartbreaking for me because of his transformation from kid who was prone to screwing up to a serious (still fun loving), responsible mature man.  He had just completed a leadership training course, with flying colors, when he was senselessly killed. 

His MeeMee, his grandmother, Sonya introduced me to his brother, his good friend and showed me all her photos of him.  I wanted to include as many sides of Zakiyy as I could and settled on this interactive piece which encourages the viewer to actively discover this young man who is now lost to us.

Tragically, and unbelievably, his brother, who I met and made a portrait of for the current exhibition, was also shot and killed not long after I finished this portrait of Zakiyy.