Raymond Bonilla

Lefferts and 95th
Oil on Panel
30 x 24 x 0.87 in
SOLD
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The neighborhood in Queens where I grew up is home to communities of people from Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, the largest population of Sikh Indians outside of India, and many others. The combination of all of these cultures meant I grew up around families from different cultures and religions. 

As populated as it was, my neighborhood had a very small-town feel where most people knew each other and held the importance of looking out for your fellow neighbor -- especially in times of need. Everything in the painting from the way the cars are parked, the shirt, sandals, and plastic bags are enigmatic of my hometown and remind me of that, which gives me hope that one day it and all other hometowns will return to this normalcy.