This drawing was created by Chaka Mkali while incarcerated in Minneapolis. Due to restrictions in the facility, the artist had access only to copy paper, black pens, and markers — limitations that shaped the formal qualities of this work. It is the original artwork for the flyer promoting The Wretched of the Earth, Mkali’s first Twin Cities exhibition, held at Wollenski Art Gallery (Washington & Penn Ave) and featuring artists Caleb Scott, Guillermo Garza, and Chaka Mkali. The exhibition was made possible through a grant written by Laura Schlick (Crisalys).

Mkali had relocated from Los Angeles to Minneapolis in 1989. Prior to the move, his work was rendered in full color — though the original black books and rhyme books from that time no longer exist. This drawing is particularly significant as it represents the foundational moment of the artist’s now-signature black-and-white visual language, developed under constraint and carried forward into his painting practice.