Tyrone Geter

When I created this piece, I was thinking about the weight of a garment as simple as a hoodie. To many people, it’s just clothing — protection against the cold, a symbol of comfort. But for a Black man, that same hoodie can mark you as a threat, a criminal, or a target. I wanted to capture that fragile line between ordinary life and dangerous assumption.

 

In this drawing, I placed myself beneath the hood. The explosive marks of charcoal radiate like accusations, pressing against my face and body. The cat at the foreground is my witness, my double, my reminder to stay alert. Its gaze is steady, refusing to look away, just as I must refuse invisibility.

 

This is not just a portrait — it’s a protest. It speaks to what it means to be Black, marked, and misread in America. Through the raw power of charcoal, I wanted to place the viewer face-to-face with that truth: how a garment can carry history, danger, and survival when worn by me.