Blog 3-2-23 Song of the week; Pusha TSong
Facebook KalEl Caery, IG kalelcarey2
My work will be displayed in an upcoming art show TBD
Let's Get Free Pittsburgh Pa Chapter
My work will be displayed in an upcoming art show TBD
Song of the week: Pusha TSong of the feat. Ms. Lauryn Hill "Coming Home" I do not own the rights to this song.
Quote of the week: The world today doesn't make sense, so why should I paint pictures that do? —Pablo Picasso
I'm a little late, I know. I try to meet my deadlines but, just because I'm doing time it doesn't mean that I have a lot of it. My days can be hectic: Work, workout, appointments, paperwork, painting, and on top of all that, I still need to do those life sustaining things like eat and drink. I say that because, some days I don't do neither. When I'm painting, the world around me doesn't exist anymore. I sit for hours and never realize how much time has gone by.
Painting "Day-N-Nite", I passed out from dehydration. My roommate, at the time, handed me a bottle of water every 3 hours and forced me to drink it after that episode. I hate leaving my work to go to the bathroom even. Covid lockdown was the most productive. For over a year I did nothing but paint. The only time we left our cells were to pick up our trays at the dining hall, so I had over 10+ hours a day to paint. I created; Emotive, Bloodlinez, American Stereotypez, Tranzending (donated to Let's Get Free Org.), October Rain, Cozmoz, & some logo pieces.
Since we've been back to normal operations, I'm finding it difficult to emerse myself back into my art the way I used to. It's kinda frustrating because its all I think about. From wake to sleep. It's become my obsession. I think of; how to tweak this, or how to shade that. So, when I'm somewhere other than my easel I get a little anxiety because, I don't want to forget anything.
I've been working on "Contraztz" for LGF for four months! I'm almost loosing my mind. I have a thousand ideas ready to be born onto a canvas and I can't find enough time! I need 8 days and 25 hours a week. I can work on a few paintings at a time but, I really gotta finish this one. I'm already behind schedule.
Also, this may be my second to last post. My GoDaddy account is due and I don't have the funds.
I still have my Facebook and Instagram. If it does go off, you can leave me an email. It's hard to maintain a website from prison. My family have lives to tend to first. And GoDaddy is not cheap. So, hopefully it won't be down for too long.
Now. Before I end this, let me say: Congratulations to India Spellman! Your home, finally! I'm sincerely happy for you fam. Don't let anybody tell you different. India was another African American falsely accused of murder! She was acquitted last week after being incarcerated for over 10 years! Please follow her story. My advice to you Indy.... Get back everything they owe. Do Not Settle. They took half your life for political gain. They didn't care about justice. They only cared about a conviction, no matter which African American they got for it.
I now this because, its part of my story. They don't care about anything or anyone when it comes to getting their conviction.. They use innocent people to testify on innocent people by threatening to put them in jail also. Any human will think about their life first. Of course they will say, what ever you want the to say, in order to not receive the same fate. This is how they get a majority of their convictions. But, I digress. Sigh….
Site Song of the week: 2-03-23 "Trauma" by Meek Mill
My testimony today Jan 16th, 2023
"Most Inspirational Song of 2022/23: Kendrick Lamar's: 'Count Me Out.'" I do notg own the rights to this song.
Wow. Ok, so, things are finally starting to crawl forward.... All praises due to God.
Hello ladies, gentleman, them and, they. Please allow me to reintroduce myself; I am Kal-El. An incarcerated freelance artist who is trying to find his way inside the cold, cut throat business of imaginative design.
The art underworld. A place where you can lose your soul trying to appease the Governors of Galleries and Congress of Curators.
This digital diary will be very therapeutic for me. I'll get to talk about my works, my mediums, how my past influences my present, what does and doesn't work for me, and the music that adds the color into each piece. Most importantly, I'll get to talk about my muse, The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections.
Its been 6 years since I've picked up a paint brush. I taught me everything I know. Some through books, but most from trial and error. Painting is a part of me now. An important piece that I don't know how I've lived without for so long. Painting is the cure for my mental health. Period.
Even if no one understands or cares about how I view the world thru my art, I will continue to glide my brushes across any and everything until the day I turn back into dust.
I've been dreaming of having this kind of outlet for years now. As I've said, this will not be just about my art. I will be exposing the good, the bad, and the ugly of the Pennsylvania penal system. When it comes to this topic, I will try to be as fair and unbiased as I can. I believe in right and wrong. Regardless of color, class, etc...
If you're going to read this, please keep in mind, this is MY point of view. Agree or disagree. I don't care. I'm going to tell it how I see it. I may not always be right, but I will forever be true to me.
With that being said, let put you up to date on some things. is a long form text area designed for your content that you can fill up with as many words as your heart desires. You can write articles, long mission statements, company policies, executive profiles, company awards/distinctions, office locations, shareholder reports, whitepapers, media mentions and other pieces of content that don’t fit into a shorter, more succinct space.
Articles – Good topics for articles include anything related to your company – recent changes to operations, the latest company softball game – or the industry you’re in. General business trends (think national and even international) are great article fodder, too.
Mission statements – You can tell a lot about a company by its mission statement. Don’t have one? Now might be a good time to create one and post it here. A good mission statement tells you what drives a company to do what it does.
Company policies – Are there company policies that are particularly important to your business? Perhaps your unlimited paternity/maternity leave policy has endeared you to employees across the company. This is a good place to talk about that.
Executive profiles – A company is only as strong as its executive leadership. This is a good place to show off who’s occupying the corner offices. Write a nice bio about each executive that includes what they do, how long they’ve been at it, and what got them to where they are. I have been working on a piece for the Let's Get Free Org. art show since November. The theme for the 2023 show was a question: "What does Freedom look like to you?" When I got that mail, I was like, damn. What does freedom look like? I also thought about how interesting that interpretation would be to put on canvas.
I have been incarcerated for 17 years. I don't know what freedom FEELS like anymore, let alone what it LOOKS like! So, I had to visualize emotion. My greatest challenge to date. I can't wait for ppl to see it. Its surreal expressionism in its rawest form. Great topic LGF.
The month of January has been rough for those of us on D-unit at SCI-CBS. The heat broke on Christmas weekend. The coldest days its been in years. We went all 4 of them with no heat. Its Jan.16th and its still an issue. It keeps going in and out and all we're being told is, they're waiting for a part. On top of that, Admin. has decided that we don't need 2 blankets.
Now, in policy it says (1) wool blanket and (1) cotton blanket. We never had wool blankets like Muncy. We have had (2) polyester blankets since I got here in 2016. Now, in the middle of winter, we have to suffer the cost cuts. They claim to not have the money for clothes, blankets, and food. Yes, I said food. The meals here are... meager, at best. The female facilities receive a fraction of what the men get. The good or donated food goes to staff. If we don't have commissary, we go hungry at night. We are given just enough to stay alive. I feel like Oliver Twist on most days. Commissary prices skyrocketed. The positive side is, the pay rates went up 20%. Thank God for the men who fought for it. The women fight for nothing, except relationships. That's a topic for another day tho.
So, now that the introduction is out of the way. Every Monday I will be writing about a painting that's on my page and what inspired it. Preference? Email me. I'll also be talking about staff/inmate relationships. Good and Bad.
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Additional Information
KaL-El
My name is Kal-El Carey. I am an African American transmale who is currently incarcerated in a Pennsylvania women's state prison.
I am also a new artist in search of community, guidance, and representation. I am a self-taught fine arts artist and I specialize in a style that I call, "Urban Abstract Surrealism".
I have trademarked my own brand and artistic style called, "Z-coded ". You can currently view some of my works and website at [www.Z-coded.com.]
Z-coded, is a medical and/or mental health prison code that describes an inmate which the state deems too dangerous or mentally unstable to be housed with any other state prisoner for their, or another's safety.
To those incarcerated, its just another oppressive mechanism used by the DOC to silence those within the system believed to be different from what their version of society labels as " normal". Basically, Z-coding is taking something normalized and making it different. My purpose in my art is to show that different is also beautiful.
I have been Z-coding for 4 years. I use mixed media but, my medium of choice is fluid acrylics. Painting is my way of coping with social anxiety, depression, and anger.
Music inspires my colors and emotions determine what visual effects will speak from my canvas. There are playlists to all of my works. One day, I pray, I would be able to host my own exhibition and everyone could listen to the songs that influenced and inspired my pieces.
I have participated in art shows, (#Let's Get Free@Let's Get Free.com), and I will be one of ten incarcerated artists featured in a book and exhibition at The Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh.
It has been difficult pursuing my art career from the inside. I am limited on resources and I have no contacts within the African American artists community. Some of my works is in the Blue Steel Art Gallary located in the Strip District
, My name is Kal-el Carey, I am a African American Transmale
My Background
Self-taught entrepreneurial artist. I started designs and artwork when I was young and continued to hone my skills progressively over the past 20 years. Canvas Paintings
My Medium
My mediums vary depending on what strikes me at the moment. Oil, acrylic, watercolor, canvas, clothing and paper. I utilize all as the mood hits.
My Inspiration
My inspiration comes from everywhere. A song, a sunset, people in the street or birds in the sky. Most importantly, I'm inspired by life.
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