A little over a year ago, I had a conversation with a teacher from the Government High School who shared with me the story of a young man who was a victim of gang violence. This story struck a cord in my heart as she expressed his dreams and desires. It resonates with me to this very day. For me, this young man’s story was a symbol of all the young lives cut short, reminding me of the wealth of diverse beauty, dreams and personalities that are lost.

“A Kiss for Angelo” is a piece that first expresses the innocent joys of a life that I wish this young man had experienced. It ultimately illuminates a desire for the youth to come together to heal the wounds of violence through love and peace.

Delving deeper into the work, the figures in this sculpture are adorned with visual elements that reference our multicultural ancestors. However, there are other aesthetics in the figures that make them appear as schoolchildren.

Often conflict begins between two people or two groups through visual and cultural differences. My aim was to make a connection between historical conflicts and present-day conflicts in our culture that have originated out of racial, national and cultural differences.

In this matter, I think of the Lucayans and the Spanish, the African Slaves and their European masters, Haitians and Bahamians. Today our youth suffer under the mantle of violence based on discrimination that has trickled down through the centuries. My purpose was to infuse this piece with these diverse cultural elements so that we could celebrate the beauty in our social differences, not destroy each other because of them.

Jace McKinney