Wicked Daydreams

Wicked Daydreams was created in response to the police brutality epidemic in the United States. The presence of three armed policemen is poignant in their outnumbering of the one Black male. It is a direct reference to the colossal number of cases in the US, where police shootings against Black individuals are often found to be unjust due to the unarmed victims who in fact posed no threat to the officers in question. 

"I explore these social commentaries, in particular the stigma of mental health especially as it pertains to African-American communities, which merits discussion based on recent racial tensions in the [US]. To examine Black mental health is to examine the effect of events in both the past and present, how patterns of suffering repeat themselves, and the burden of certain societal expectations." -Ryan Murray

Ryan Murray 

Through the unflinching medium of spray paint stencilling, the work of Ryan Murray unearths and examines the unsettling, but important, conversations on the stigma of mental illness. Murray aims to normalise the discussion and treatment of mental health in black communities. "To examine Black mental health," he says, "is to examine the effect of events in both the past and present, socioeconomic factors, how patterns of suffering repeat themselves, and the burden of certain societal expectations." 

By utilising repeated symbolism and autobiographical elements, his work not only seeks to address the reality and the reasons that people of colour suffer in silence more than their white counterparts, but urges him to navigate his own upbringing as an African-American struggling with mental illness in predominantly white community.

Murray has exhibited in numerous galleries and shows in western Massachusetts and has installed several murals in the city of Springfield, dealing with themes of food justice, community action, and Springfield's past as a stop on the Underground Railroad. He is a recipient of grants from the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, Artist Relief and Mass MoCA's Assets 4 Artists. Murray received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Carnegie Mellon University in 2014 and is currently located in Springfield, Massachusetts. 

Based on our agreement with the artist, 15% of the pre-VAT price excluding frames will be donated to support the social movement. Donation will be given to Black Women's Health Imperative.