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NEW YORK (FOX 5 NEWS) - I went to Brooklyn, just off Utica, where warehouses and auto body shops litter the avenue to meet with artist Sophia Dawson. There are racks and racks of work.
Dawson said she strongly believes she was given a gift and has a huge responsibility with her art. Creating this work to lift up voices is more than a passion or profession for Dawson. She has a purpose. She says her work can be a tool to change somebody's life; to open their eyes and set them free.
Her ability is undeniable and filled with consciousness. It tackles themes related to race and power. Her brush strokes tell stories and build bridges. One particular work was inspired by the country's split reaction to the killing of Trayvon Martin.
But on a deeper level, at the root of some many of society's challenges are entry points we can all relate to. She says anyone, regardless of where they come from, can relate to a mother's loss of a child. Part of that series of work is a mural in Newark featuring 13 women who have lost their children.
Her new work incorporates different textures and feel, blown-up notes, and undeniable admiration for her subjects.
In many ways, she has given these voices wings, long removed from the daily discourse. Many are confined, others have been killed. She is looking for the perfect one. In many ways, they all are.
Dawson first picked up a paintbrush at age 15. "And it just happened," she says.