If there is any truth to the saying 'What doesn't kill you makes you stronger', then the strength of Charvis Harrell's art comes from an autoimmune disease called Sarcoidosis. A third generation Brick Mason, art became the vehicle to cope with the emasculated condition of losing both good health and a career. I started making art as a way to give my children lessons about life and culture that was hidden from them, and to talk about difficult things that needed to be explained, and to also pay tribute to the people that are brave enough to make a difference in society. Reclaimed materials are a recurring theme of my practice. I see it as a metaphor for how a person can feel worthless like trash and with the right amount of time and care it can be transformed to be something beautiful, by focusing on seeing the beautiful aspect in things considered waste, I was able to reclaim my own life as well.
