Artist statement: “My letter is from a Salvadorean detainee who has been living in the US for 34 years and is been detained for something he did when he was 17 years old. He has cancer and is being refused medical treatment. Because his name is Angel, I was inspired by the imagery of an angel being caught in a web of injustice. The figure insidehis chest represents his 17-year-old self being hanged while cancer cells grow in his body. The bird flying from his mouth symbolizes the possibility of liberation through voicing the truth of his experience through this letter.” – Miss TANGQ
“People are afraid to speak out. Some because they don’t know what’s going on and because they think that this is how things should be.” – Excerpt from Angel’s letter.
Visions From The Inside is a collaborative project between visual artists and immigrants facing the for-profit detention monster.
