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, I began placing stones, according to Jewish custom*, in lieu of flowers, at makeshift memorials for Black Lives Matters Activists. In Justice for Toyin, I placed stones for 19-year-old activist “Toyin” Salau at a memorial in Washington Sq Park, NYC. 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, stones have been a symbol of respect and represent having led a just and honorable life.
