"Salvaging lost time" - Charles Winston

The artist is currently incarcerated in North Carolina. He specializes in panos.

All original artworks are created by artists previously or currently incarcerated. They use whichever materials they have access to, and prove creative ingenuity beyond the norm. These original paintings and drawings are born in the heart of a prison cell, from the hands of an outsider artist to adorn the walls of your space. Each art piece is a one-of-a-kind that not only enhances your interior but also makes you actively participate in reforming the prison and criminal justice system.

The incarcerated artist receives 50% of the sales proceeds. The artists set their own prices based on the costs of materials (it can vary greatly from one facility to another), the time spent on the piece, their experience, and simply - what they think it’s worth. Alongside with offering a financial outlet, we aim to empower their confidence and reinstitute their status as human beings - not a number behind bars. For most, art is an escape, a path to self-discovery and healing. Through art, they can reconnect with society so the gap is not so unbridgeable when they get out. Through the sales, they can stay connected with their families, afford daily commissary items, pay societal debts, relieve the economic burden on their loved ones, and save up for the release date. So they have the financial means to get ahead of reinsertion and get a fair chance at that second chance.

16" x 20" | Pencil on linen

I’ve been incarcerated since I was 19 years old and when I first fell in the County jail I started drawing as a way to make money because at the time I had no support. Eventually drawing led to tattooing, carving, as well as sculpting and in 2019, an ex of mine made me my first Instagram account “Charles_Winston_91” which she later locked me out of when I was in solitary confinement for 180 days last year in 2020 after we broke up and she left me. I then met Emily around Christmas 2020 and she was instantly a fan of my art and made me a new instagram account “scratching_onthewalls” She is the one that actually sent me the application to your art contest and encouraged me to submit a piece. I draw on clothes and carve bars of inmate-manufactured soap, they are produced through correction enterprises at slave labor wages, 13 cents and the message is “I’m turning a piece of oppression into a piece of art!” Hopefully this year I’ll be selling T-shirts and other merchandise through red bubble if all goes well..I’m in a position where everything that I do I basically need someone’s help. I’m trying to utilize the remainder of my time and use prison as a stepping stone to success and build a loyal fan base/followers now so that when I am released in 2028 I’ll have the clientele to sell art, merchandise, as well as make money from tattooing. Also I’m a poet and I am trying to get published..maybe we can network together in the future? Thanks for giving back to the incarcerated community and believing in us. Respectfully .

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