Daronn Portrait of Daronn Davis by Jennifer Coburn
From the artist Jennifer Coburn: Daronn “#9” Davis lived right up until the cusp of his adulthood, taken from this Earth on the day before he turned 18. As I spoke with his mother and sister, as well as some of his friends and teachers, what struck me was how he was deep in the process of exploring his identity as an adult and developing his sense of personal responsibility. Everyone knew him for his ever-present smile. He liked video games and hanging out on social media and had a playful spirit, often teasing his sisters, Mom, and stepfather
Daronn was committed to making changes, showing up early every day to JEVS E3 Center City where he was working towards earning a high school diploma and acquiring skills to help him grow towards a successful career. As his classmate noted during the E3 graduation ceremony when acknowledging Daronn’s achievements before his untimely death, “Daronn was dedicated, committed and on fire to make a difference in his life.”
What touched me the most as I learned about this young man who loved to laugh and have fun, was his kindness. So many people benefitted from Daronn’s generous spirit: his best friend since grade school, Rahseem, who was welcome to stay at the house whenever he wanted; the older residents of the neighborhood for whom he used to run to the store; and people he met who were less fortunate: “if you didn’t have something and he saw that you didn’t have it, he would give it to you.”
I am honored to have had the opportunity to depict Daronn’s playful, kind nature through this portrait. I surrounded him with words and images to symbolically represent the rich fabric of his community, history, and spirit.
From Tamike White, Shaquan White, Erica Akins, Daronn’s mother and sisters: Daronn was a sweet, kind, loving person. All he wanted to do was make us proud. He was very funny, laid back, cool, and a fly kind of guy that had a smile that would light up the room. He loved spending time with his god-children and little cousins. We love and miss him dearly.
From the curator: This is such a masterful use of materials, technique and composition. In person one can see the use of gold throughout which, along with the centered placement of Daronn’s smiling face, and the hood framing it, brings to mind an icon. The detailed background and edges of the portrait, not visible in the photo, complete that connection. I especially love the compositional use of white which direct the eye towards his heart and, again, reminds me of beautifully narrative and symbolic iconic portraiture from the distant past. This is a truly loving treatment by Jennifer of her subject.
Daronn Portrait of Daronn Davis by Jennifer Coburn acrylic and photocopy transfer on panel 24” x 24” 2018
