Meet The Artist And His Art

Bobby Caldwell-Kim

Oppressionism

My work is part of an underground Oppressionist movement (art created under active oppression, often institutional confinement, as a means of resistance). Due to oppressive restrictions, Oppressionist artists are often forced to utilize found, pilfered, or contraband materials to complete their works. Oppressionism combines stylistic inflences from street art, pop art, and urban grafiti writing, often set against realistic depictions of everyday confinement, with a thematic use of text to represent institutional bureaucracy.

With this series I hope to inspire a contextual shift within the movement, focusing on detailed depictions of battered yet otherwise mundane institutuional objects to convey the ultimate cost of confinemet: the "object-ification" of the human being. The subject is often set amidst a violent and vibrant whirlwind of color and chaos to represent the emotional turmoil of the confined self.

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Bobby found solace in the world of art. Denied the luxury of professional tools and supplies, he ingeniously utilizes the meager resources available within the confines of his cell. With a keen eye and a steady hand, he transforms everyday images into extraordinary works of art. The limited funds he receives each month are barely enough to cover essential needs like hygiene, food, medicine, and phone calls, leaving no room for artistic pursuits, yet his creativity is an unwavering beacon in the darkness of his confinement.