nalax / Basquiat on Brown Skin

“nalax / Basquiat on Brown Skin” is a self-portrait and makeup-based image experiment created after an extensive workshop in harm reduction and Narcan. The work processes grief, anger, and urgency around the loss of artists—especially the cultural fixation on dying at 27, a theme that shaped much of mcneill’s work during 2023–2024.

The image is a reflection on what it means to live in the “flat digital art” era, where physical works no longer have to exist in a physical space to be seen. In that, j. takes it a step further by applying a motif of the piece to their face to mirror the impact seeing the piece for the first time had on them in the moment.

At its core, the work asks how art can metabolize collective loss. It honors living alternatively and taking an alternative perspective to understanding—rather than consuming—art.