About Medar de la Cruz

Artist for Rikers Public Memory Project

Medar de la Cruz is a Brooklyn-based artist. Medar’s images are defined by how the boldly drawn lines are always in constant movement. Comics and animation have a major influence on Medar, as do experiences growing up in big cities all over the States and trips to the Dominican Republic as a child. Currently, Medar uses comics as a way of bringing attention to social justice issues while also exploring new ways to tell stories that can only be told visually.

Artist Statement
As an artist, communication lies at the heart of my identity. Through the fusion of clarity and creativity, I possess the remarkable ability to navigate the complexities of an oppressive world. This power to communicate effectively and imaginatively grants me the flexibility to transcend the constraints imposed by authority. I embrace the role of a translator, using my creative prowess to bridge gaps, amplify marginalized voices, and challenge the status quo. Through my artistry, I strive to express profound truths, evoke emotions, and provoke critical thinking. By harnessing the transformative potential of art, I navigate barriers and empower others to find their own voices amidst a world that often seeks to silence them."

Visual Description:
Medar de la Cruz, Remembering Rikers, 2023, Acrylic and watercolor on paper, 24 x 36 inches.
Two framed mixed media portraits of Helen Skipper are situated side by side. In the painting on the right Skipper’s face is fully sketched and in the background are orange squares that illustrate black, gray, and white jail items as: a food tray, a prison bed, a public phone, and a barbed fence, among others. 

In the painting on the left Skipper’s portrait is only outlined and in the background are orange squares that illustrate mostly blue and white of the same jail items.

Medar de la Cruz, Remembering Rikers, 2023, Acrylic and watercolor on paper, 24 x 36 inches.
Two framed mixed media portraits of Edwin Santana are situated side by side. In the painting on the right Santana’s face is fully sketched and in the background are orange squares that illustrate black, gray, and white jail items and sites, as: a bus, a cap, a prison lunch table, a book, and the Rikers Island Jail facility, among others.

In the painting on the left Santana’’s face is only outlined and in the background are orange squares that illustrate mostly blue and white of the same jail items and sites.

Rikers Public Memory Project: Audio
A small audio player alongside headphones and transcripts of the audio text on paper are displayed on the wall.