In this self-portrait, the arm of an infant Malcolm reaches out with a fist full of his own locs as a declaration of self-liberation. Locs he’d later grow out and cut in his young adulthood while wearing West-African Wax Print he’d later adorn himself with, covered by a silver West-African coat as a shield of protection. ‘Here, Opus’ explores the transcendence of trauma, vulnerability, and time through the collaged use of personal archived imagery and artifacts. Each representing biological markers that hint at the evolution and reclamation of Malcolm’s inner-child and future experiences. The title is a play of irony challenging the thought of artistic absence over a length of time.

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'Open My Mouth' by Dexter Walker & Zion Movement acts as a prophetic and non-diegetic chant speaking on behalf of the portrait while foretelling its future. Click on the audio below the image to experience it.