JAYLEN PIGFORD (b. 1996) is an Afro-Latino painter born and raised in Corpus Christi, TX, and today, he calls Houston, TX, home. A self-taught artist, Pigford began creating artwork in childhood. The artist's paintings are autobiographical reflections on negative experiences endured in the past and of the adversity to tell stories of self-growth through painting. The artist understands his work to be a balance of light and dark, the good with the bad, this struggle and tension, and our failures that test us—the actions people take to correct injustices and social issues at large matter most to Pigford. Like Renaissance painters and artists, Pigford is fascinated with memento mori. Like many before Pigford, the artist uses skulls in his paintings to represent mortality—the great equalizer of humanity. The skulls in his work are symbolic reminders of death's inevitability, and our attraction to materialism is questionable. The artist draws inspiration from his heritage and the cultural tradition of Dia De Los Muertos combined with the art historical tradition of memento mori. Pigford puts a twist on the decorative Calaveras and calacas (skulls and skeletons) in his paintings by playing with vibrant, bold, colorful motifs used to honor his ancestors. The artist notes, "whether we accept it or not, death inspires everyone. Knowing that our time is limited encourages people to reach their goals and to live their best lives." We witness these sentiments boldly on each of his painted canvases
