A New Chapter in Color and Consciousness

A New Chapter in Color and Consciousness

Ja’Mez Williams, a multidisciplinary artist from Montgomery, Alabama, opens up his second solo exhibition filled with color and consciousness.

Exploring Social Realities Through Art

Opening my gallery, Expressionism Is Power, on June 11th, 2026, opened up variations of perspectives including racism, sexism, gender inequality, poverty, political instability, Black joy, and homophobia. When walking through my gallery of 19 pieces from Conviction of Color to Impactform, they are all perceived as a notion of becoming, of self-advocacy, of adopting self-hood. Through the usage of color, the goal was to challenge what the social norms are, create an international culture, and establish collective consciousness.

Growing Up Searching for Identity

Growing up, I had hard times navigating the world. Life felt like a real adventure, trying to get those pieces of my life back that went missing, putting up missing signs across the spiritual world to find out who I am. But I knew I had to create a new reality for myself. I grew up without a dad—a dad who I lost before I could even breathe, on this day, July 30th, 2006. Yet I did not let that stop me from creating my own pathway to success. My dad was a colorful person, so think of this as a thrust of power, a signature legacy for him. He left a seed behind so I could create consciousness, vibrancy, and an experience that forces the world to come together.

A Message Beyond Imagery: The Opening Speech

In my opening speech, I said in my opening reception speech, Expressionism Is Power is more than imagery or color—it is a powerful message. It is my family, my community, Kevin and The King’s Canvas, my father, and the nine billion people in this world. It is a call for a human‑race revolution, for us to come together and recognize that community, solidarity, and humanity are essential. No one is superior; we all bleed, cry, and feel.

Choosing a Gap Year for Healing and Creation

Before I started Expressionism Is Power, I was ready to head off to college, but I decided to defer, and I decided to take a gap year to focus on my mental health and art. Doing that required me to focus, stay confident, and concentrate on my spiritual and mental power. I took out my laptop, and I made a moodboard for Expressionism Is Power wrapped in cheetah print, filled with messy files, frantic thoughts, and even the occasional “wanting to give up” statement that flew through my mind.

Building a Movement Through Art Influence

When I came up with this concept, I had to dig deep into the ground so that I could produce a movement that would sting an outdated, stigmatizing system. So I used two artists who challenged the idea of being, of self, of becoming. I studied Basquiat's deliverance of graffiti, collages, and cultural analysis as an association to challenge what it means to be a Gay Black man in America and rise up from the challenges of stereotypes and oppression. And then I used Andy Warhol, whose color language defined the Pop Art era and created a signature style that people still use today. My attempt to use Warhol's color languages defined by studying him meticulously, delicately choosing colors based on the feelings of solidarity, consciousness, and self-expression.

Confronting Historical and Global Violence

We stand on soil shaped by slavery, Jim Crow, Tulsa, Tuskegee, COINTELPRO, and the murders of Emmett Till, Trayvon Martin, Cyrus Carmack‑Belton, and Nolan Xavier Wells, while witnessing genocides in Congo and Gaza. These are reminders that systemic violence is not past but present. Ignorance, complicity, racism, hatred, and phobia are choices.

A Call to Reject Hatred and Embrace Humanity

Why hate someone for their expression or their color? Hatred reflects what you lack, even as you emulate and commercialize that creativity. We must also acknowledge the ongoing genocide against copper‑melaninated people in the United States, where deaths are dismissed as suicides and erased from mass media. Aren’t we tired of funerals, harassment, and fearing for our lives during routine encounters?

Closing the Show, Honoring My Father’s Legacy

I closed my show on July 30th, 2026. That date is the day my father took his last breath from gun violence in Dothan, Alabama; that day, the word “dad” was taken from my vocabulary; that connection was stripped away and shredded, but in reality, he lived through me, my father Rodricky’s Tywon Williams. Every time I wake up and look at the mirror, I see him; I see his eyes, his nose, and eyebrows. I have his crazy spirit and spontaneous energy. Expressionism Is Power truly was created from his enduring legacy and colorful spirit.

A Closing Affirmation of Worth and Beginning

Take this with you: you are important, gifted, smart, and extraordinary. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise. Thank you for your support and dedication to this movement. I appreciate you all. This is only the beginning.

A New Chapter in Color and Consciousness.