I imagined John Blanke as a fellow diaspora musician and parent, I feel his life as if he is a member of my family. I identify with his courage and strong spirit in requesting the same pay as his fellow white trumpeters. Sometimes even unbeknown to ourselves, our courage for the sake of our family and self dignity, causes us to make positive action that moves us out of our comfort zone. This kind of  action I believe, can makes a difference not just in our life, but ripple into other's lives, far into the future. I identify with this in my own life.  

My triptych reflects this feeling I wanted to create a timeline from past to present. I made a study of a contemporary artist and close friend as the face of John Blanke to further make this connection.

Ebun Culwin
Artist