Kimberly Marie Ashby, American
Self Care is Self Preservation, 2020
Self Care is Self Preservation by Kimberly Marie Ashby consists of a black woman surrounded by flowers and marijuana leaves. In this poster, the artist is placing marijuana in an unconventional context that portrays it as a benign and aesthetic plant like any other. This calls attention to the disproportionate number of people of color serving long sentences for nonviolent crimes of marijuana possession. Portraying marijuana in a benign, decorative way, opposes this fact and makes it appear unjust. This message is especially relevant during a time when the legalization of marijuana is highly debated and the U.S. has the highest number of incarcerated citizens in the world. Label by Jordan Stofko