Grace Rosario Perkins: Circles, Spokes, Zigzags, Rivers | Art & Artists

“This work had an urgency to it. Its title is a lyric from the rap group Double X Posse’s ‘Not Gonna Be Able to Do It,’ which I listened to when my uncle became ill. He was a father figure to me. I collected the material for this painting when he was dying in the hospital’s ICU, including a love note my niece handed me, a mirror, datura seeds, and fake eyelashes. Grieving is an important teacher. Painting helps move the energy of grief.”—GRP