“From coastal resiliency and sustainable green practices to the preservation of affordable housing, world-class public art, and vibrant, year-round programming in award-winning public spaces, Battery Park City leads the way in many of the measures that makes cities livable."

Raju Mann

President & CEO

JUSTICE REFLECTED

WATCH: BPCA Presents: Public Art on Video – Justice Reflected (with James Yaya Hough)

Created in partnership with the Art for Justice Fund and the Battery Park City Authority.

Read more in Hyperallergic: NYC Unveils Stained-Glass Works by Formerly Incarcerated Artist

James Yaya Hough has created glass art panels filled with images that comment on social justice and encourage empathy for all humanity. The artist describes this three-part work as “a visual journey forged by my experiences and observations,” which arise from serving 27-years in prison. He was released in 2019, after the Supreme Court ruled in 2012 that life sentences for minors—as Hough was when he was convicted—were unconstitutional. Hough has since dedicated his practice to raising awareness of the impact of mass incarceration on communities, families, and society as a whole.

In this large-scale triptych, light is captured and reflected with colored glass and mirror. The imagery draws on universal references of hope and fear.

At the center is a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. which proclaims, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice,” advocating that change may take time, but it does come. Justice Reflected, is a visual call to action, for reform of the criminal justice system, and an invitation for reflection and empathy.

To further activate the installation, BPCA is committed to facilitating connections between Hough and local community partners to expand the reach of his work over the course of its run. BPCA will host community events and conduct educational outreach to reach people beyond New York City, expanding the overall impact of Hough’s art.

James Yaya Hough’s art humanizes people living and working within the criminal justice system.  Represented by JTT Gallery in New York, he is featured in the 58th Carnegie International at the Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh (2022-2023) and in Marking Time: Art in the Age of Mass Incarceration which originated at MoMA PS1, New York (2020-2021) and is touring nationally. Hough was the inaugural Artist-in-Residence at the Office of the District Attorney, Philadelphia in 2020.

 

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