Justice for Toyin, Washington Sq Park, NYC, 2020, Archival pigment print, 12x12”. Collection ICP, New York.
Justice for Toyin, “The demand for justice runs through the entirety of the Jewish tradition.” - Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Continuing my investigation of commemoration rituals, in the summer of 2020, after the murder of George Floyd, I began placing stones* at makeshift memorials at marches and protests in NYC. In Justice for Toyin, (pictured) I placed stones, in lieu of flowers, for the 19-year old Black Lives Matter activist Oluwatoyin Ruth “Toyin” Salau, at a Washington Sq Park memorial. The photograph was included in the exhibition, #ICPConcerned: Global Images for Global Crisis, ICP, 2020, New York.
* In ancient times it was customary for mourners in Jewish communities to leave a stone as a symbol of the everlasting soul and for protection from evil. In recent times, the presence of stones are a symbol of respect and represent having led a just and honorable life.
