In this painting by Jewel Ham, oozing paint and gestural marks mirror the sense of passion and drama in the central figure’s face. Ham mobilizes portraiture to narrate intangible emotional states. Her images express both psychological energy and material weight. She describes her painting practice as being rooted in “shit talking and reparations.” This use of the term reparations goes beyond financial aspects into issues like how Black people occupy physical and emotional space within society, and how they can investigate those questions within a space of real freedom. “Shit talking is important because Black people have been forced to be super creative about everything we do and say,” says Ham. “We have to use what we have. The way we do fashion, food, music. It’s something that only we can do, so we have to shit talk about it.” Ham uses humor to invite viewers into the space. Her intent is to make anyone feel welcome within her painted worlds, and to create a sense of real empathy between viewers and the figures in her paintings. At the same time, she imbues her paintings with a profound sense of attitude, populating the visual space with scenes expressive of histories and feelings that are not intended to be accessible to every viewer. Whether it's the figure’s gaze, or symbolic elements within the composition, Ham is intentionally deploying aesthetic barriers within her painted spaces. Everyone is welcome to look, but not everyone is going to understand or have access to everything that’s going on.