In New Orleans, we've been through so much in this city.

As a movement that's out of necessity, that's out of survival that says "You know what?

We're not going to take these blows and let it knock us out.

We're gonna take that pain and turn it into something beautiful."

As a visual artist, I think that's the part of the narrative that I'm a part of in terms of the service that I do.

My father was in the marines for like 26 years.

Seeing him embody this idea of service, this idea of selflessness, of course I'm gonna share some of those ideas.

There's a larger conversation that the United States has to have about this notion of service and civic participation.

Some folks are called to service whether they can see that service in service of their country, in service of their community, or in service of the struggle that's what we're excited to talk to you about.

When did you first become interested in something larger than yourself?

I mean, I guess, I was always surrounded by examples of individuals that showed that your life at its best is used when it's in the service of other people.

So whether it's from the example of my father or whether it's the example of growing up in the church or whether it's just my fascination with black history as it related to the story of the Black Panthers or Civil Rights Movement.

Like what Dr. Cornell West says, “You can't save the people if you don't serve the people.

You can't lead the people if you don't love the people.” So for me, when I had to make my decision in terms of where do I align my service, I was trying to take it as close to home as possible.

So I looked around my community and said there's so much that needs to be done here, there's so much on my block that needs direct intervention with that... One I'm going to stay here and do my work here, and two, for me, I was more attracted to the ideas of Dr. King to the ideas of justice is what love looks like in public.

In New Orleans where we experience so much physical damage and physical change a lot of the projects I've been involved with has been about transforming places that people have forgotten.

You know, housing projects or apartment complexes that were completely erased after the storm.

So they can see that space and see that oh this gives justice from my experience here because I lived here for 10 years, I lived here for 20 years, and I don't feel like I'm erased anymore because I see my story reflected through these paintings.

One of the biggest compliments that I feel I've got from this show, we did a tour with a bunch of high schoolers and one of the high schoolers said, "What's your favorite painting?"

And he pointed at one of them and he said, "This one."

He said, "Why?"

He said, "Because it looks like me."

And I think that experience in itself is something that's so rare.

To see positive reflections of yourself.

Tell us about the show.

Alright, a lot of these paintings, really these are just everyday people that I know that I posed up, I had them pose, I took photos of them.

And I wanted to represent them in kind of larger than life aspects.

So this is a friend of mine who I posed as a New Orleans Noah.

So this is really about survival and about the strength of the people that's here.

This is a friend of mine Wenday.

I painted her because she's a force to be reckoned with when it comes to what she's doing in the community.

Her portrait is about this sense of self-value and so to see it being also demonstrated in the painting, it's a way to confirm that what she stands for.

A lot of my work is focused on history because of those moments that are allowed to be forever.

So when you look at a painting of Dr. King you understand that he lived very long ago, and a very short life but yet, the eternal aspect of his life is that it's going to be talked about forever.

Growing up with your father, how would you compare military service to the service of people like Dr. King?

I think fundamentally there's this idea of service and this idea of love that comes from both.

Memories of me seeing my father putting his uniform on and as well when I see images of Dr. King like what's behind me.

However, I just had no interest in putting on a uniform.

You know what I mean?

The way I internalize those messages is that I embody them with my everyday life.

So everything I think about, paint about, it's all about these ideas that I was instilled in.

Most times, unfortunately, artists, like veterans, are not recognized or celebrated until they're dead.

There has to be a renaissance or a movement.

You know the old saying, "Give me my flowers while I can smell them."

We often times learn through signs and symbols.

So to have visual markers in our community, imprints of our cultural memory, is important for young people.

It's interesting, you know, I use paint cans, paint brushes.

I'm not in the streets marching, I'm not like banging on doors, not as much as I used to be.

Now I'm like, I'm painting a public space in a way that send these strong messages of inspiration and power.

I'm just trying to figure out how that very small measure can connect to a whole lot more.