Acrylic on canvas
18 × 24 × 1.5 in
In Unavoidable Truth, James Baldwin is portrayed as a moral presence rather than a literary icon. This work reflects the psychological clarity and internal resolve required to confront truth without comfort, capturing a mind shaped by lived experience, conviction, and refusal.
Rendered in acrylic on canvas, the composition uses expressive color and layered texture to convey intensity without spectacle. Baldwin’s gaze holds both challenge and invitation—asking the viewer not only to see, but to reckon. The larger 18 × 24 inch scale gives the work physical authority, reinforcing Baldwin’s role as a grounding and culminating voice within the series.
As part of The Unquiet Mind, Unavoidable Truth examines the cost of bearing witness in a world resistant to honesty. It is a tribute to moral courage, intellectual clarity, and the enduring power of a voice that demanded reflection rather than reassurance.