Story by Fitzgerald

One of my brothers has been in and out of prison since he was 14 years old. He’s 24 this year. I don’t remember the last time he was here for a holiday.

My older brother, M.E.F., committed suicide when I was 15 years old. He was only 21 years old. We believe he did it because of the high levels of cocaine he was on and because he was on the verge of going back to jail.

My Brother would rather have died, than be sent back to jail.

About Eric Okdeh

Eric Okdeh is a Philadelphia based muralist, who has been creating public art since 1998. After receiving his BFA in painting from Tyler School of Art, Eric chose to focus on mural work exclusively. Since 2002, in addition to his commissioned work, Eric has taught mural making classes to children and teens throughout the city as well as inmates at SCI Graterford Prison. The classes exist as leadership, teamwork, and skill building exercises which culminate in major mural projects. In an attempt to capture these significant community collaborations and interactions, Eric has developed this website and mural blog. The projects are journalized and documented in photographs and video clips to lend outside observers insight into the processes by which his murals come about. Eric has over 65 commissions throughout the city of Philadelphia and one in Seville, Spain. He has participated in mural projects in Tucson, Arizona and Los Angeles. His work is featured in four books about public and Mural art.
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