Author: bholmstrom

The Letter

by Raymond Rashard Louther

 

 

 

Raymond “Ray Rav” Louther is a Film Director and Music Producer from East New York, Brooklyn. After falling in love with music at a young age, he transferred that momentum into becoming a filmmaker at the age of 18. Ray Rav started off with filming music videos, but now he also does a lot of short films. He’s often called “The Jack of All Trades” because he does his complete production by himself (directing, cinematography, editing, special effects, lighting, audio, etc.). Growing up, his biggest influences were 50 Cent, Eminem, and Dr. Dre. He truly admired their leadership and originality, but he fell most in love with 50 Cent’s dominance from music to film. With a very driven and ambitious outlook on life, Ray Rav is ready to succeed and make it through any obstacle in his way. The sky is his only limit! You can find him on Instagram @Ravage_Music.

Before Corona Happened — Untitled 4

by Dewa Wiryawan

 

 

Dewa is a freelance photographer and videographer; he likes to call himself a photo enthusiast. He has been a photographer since 2013, right after he graduated from high school. His photography is mostly based on what is happening in society, but sometimes he takes photos of restaurants and weddings. His mission is to deliver a story through photos, that is why wherever he travels he will bring his camera.

FEEL FREE TO BE YOURSELF REGARDLESS OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS

By Christie Laurent

 

 

Coming from Haiti three years ago, Christie Guerbenjy Laurent is a student at LaGuardia Community College pursuing an associates degree, majoring in Civil Engineering. She is passionate about drawing, collages, and creative projects. She was a member of an art group in Haiti, where they create pots out of clay and draw, among other creative projects. She uses art and drawing to express most of her feelings; she states “art is one of my ways to communicate.” Any bad social or gender aspects in a society, she addresses them through art. She is planning on attending City College in pursuit of her bachelor’s degree in Civil engineering. Follow her on Instagram @kitty_benjy.

Mandala & Flowers, Knight, & Balance

by Ivan Estevez

 Mandala & Flowers

 

Knight

 

 

Balance

 

 

Ivan Estevez has been an artist for almost two decades. He was born in the Dominican Republic and moved to New York when he was 10-years-old. He got started in art thanks to Anime; almost every day after school, Ivan would go to the library to look up and print out images of Dragon Ball and spend the rest of the time attempting to copy them. At age 13, on one of his many library trips, he stumbled upon How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way, and from that moment he was hooked. Ivan works as a professional tattoo artist with 12 years of experience. He specializes mostly in Black and Grey Portraits and Custom Designs. He also does commissions in Oil Painting, Digital, and traditional illustrations, along with the occasional art teaching. For more of his work, visit his website or follow him on Instagram at @kamiartist.

Spring

by Jasmine Chan

 

 

Jasmine Chan is a Malaysian-Chinese artist born in Queens, New York. She is attaining her Associates degree in Fine Arts at LaGuardia Community College and will be transferring to the School of Visual Arts for a BFA in Illustration. Jasmine conveys her emotional experiences by composing characters in environments with surreal elements and colors to create specific moods. Although she mostly works digitally, Jasmine loves to explore traditional mediums such as oil paint, ink, and sculpture. Just like the anime, cartoons, manga, and video games that influenced her art since childhood, she strives to tell fictional and personal stories through her pieces. You can find her on Instagram @ jazzy_channs and check out her portfolio on her website.

Guitar Central Park

by John Puga

 

 

John Puga is a Brooklyn-based artist who has been studying photography, art, and design for over 18-years. He came to New York City from San Antonio, Texas to study photography at LaGuardia Community College. His photography explores the beauty in everyday life’s overlooked moments. He has a B.F.A. in Computer Graphic Arts (2012) and an M.A. in Communication Arts (2016) from the University of the Incarnate Word. You can see more of his work via his Instagram page: @pugarazzi.

Ain’t I African?

by Raki Jordan

I was born on water,
in a country called boat –
Ain’t I African?
Swollen nostrils, protruding lips,
feet still running from the waters;
hair intertwined with maps navigating me home –
eyes blinded by hope—determination.

Ain’t I African? Ain’t I? Ain’t I too been bleached
by the sun, charred by its rays? Dark skinned, eyes
illuminating pain—progress aligned with struggle.

Ain’t I African? Don’t I bleed blood of beating drums –
Black fists pounding air, tribal instance dancing in my veins?
What makes me different from you? Skin diluted by salt water?
Welts swollen from the sting? Body an embodiment of chains?
Future not being free?

Ain’t I African? Ain’t I proud of me being you?
Did I not sing it beautifully?
Haven’t I made you sing it too?

Ain’t my skin soil—though, tainted by the muddy
waters of the Southern bayous?
Neck elongated from cotton fiber ropes,
muscles forever tense from centuries of exhaustive
work; pain passed on to generations of babies, limbs
enlarged from manipulation –

Ain’t I African? Ain’t I still danced in the confines
of shackles, heat curdling rhythm—feet stomping
beyond trees, echoing home from across the sea?

Can’t you hear me? The sounds of bull-whips across my back
made you deaf? Did the sound of gurgling water from my throat
muted my cry for help? Teary eyes, bulging tongue –
veins throbbing from my neck.

Ain’t I African? Ain’t I? Did it die when I went
on to the waters, floating on the waves—twirling in the sea?
Did it die when I became Black?
Did you forget about me—the water child, grasping to be free?

Raki Jordan is an avid reader, who enjoys writing pieces that’ll encourage thought-provoking interpretations of his works. Jordan is inspired by his everyday life, capturing the often bitter sweetness of his environment and society.

A Tanka To the Birds That Visit Me During Corona

by Tamra Cosby

you are my alarm
high-pitched yet softly spoken
while the world crumbles
I hear you through sealed windows
embracing your existence

Tamra Cosby a.k.a Mama Cosby is a 22 year old African American woman from South Jamaica, Queens. She is a sophomore at LaGuardia CC and is majoring in psychology. In 2019, Tamra was elected VP of Leadership in LAGCC’s Phi Theta Kappa Chapter Alpha Theta Phi. She aspires to become a licensed psychologist with her own private practice and aspires to write books. Her hobbies are reading, writing, dancing, yoga, and going on walks with her dog. Tamra’s trauma history and the loud silence of her suffering inspired her to write it out. She began digging deeper when she became a part of The Rock Churches poetry ministry. One of her biggest inspirations is Nikki Giovanni.