Inspiration:

I like art that takes traditional images and inserts challenges to that tradition. I wanted to create an image that at first glance seemed ordinary. I added notches to the handle of the gavel to represent the impersonal score-taking our judicial system seems to have become.

Justice statement:

Justice is about balance and restoring balance where harm is created. It's about moving forward in such a way where I'm able to show redemption. It's about living in a way that takes advantage of opportunities to restore the balance of justice.

I believe systemically justice is viewed through a judicial lens. This has depersonalized the process of justice and created a system largely based on statistics and numbers. I wanted to show a traditional image of justice in the judicial form with a subtle nod towards the score keeping that takes place under the guise of the "We the People" message. I kept the painting dark because I believe Justice is sometimes kept in shadows and needs more light.