Halim Flowers (American, b. 1980)

Life Isn’t Symmetrical (2020)

Acrylic & oil sticks on canvas

48″ x 48″ (122cm x 122cm)

Accompanied by certification of authenticity from the artist

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Halim Flowers’ painting “Life Isn’t Symmetrical” bursts with vibrant energy and a defiant critique of the art establishment. The phrases “Outsiders In, MFA’s Out” and “Will Paint for Reparations” boldly challenge the exclusionary traditions of institutional art, where academic credentials often dictate legitimacy. Flowers, as an artist who emerged from incarceration and outside formal art training, turns this narrative on its head, declaring art’s power lies in authenticity, not pedigree. “Life isn’t symmetrical,” scrawled in bright yellow, becomes a metaphor for the imbalance of societal systems, where justice and opportunity remain unevenly distributed.

The declaration “All Art is Ready Made” evokes Duchampian ideas while reclaiming art as a democratized, accessible practice, untethered to elitist norms. Halim’s words—layered, raw, and unapologetic—mirror his belief that art should amplify marginalized voices and demand accountability. As he once reflected: “The system tried to erase me, but I paint to exist, to demand reparations, and to tell my truth.” With its chaotic yet deliberate composition, this work is both a manifesto and a celebration of the outsider—an assertion that real art is born not in privilege, but in resilience and revolution.