Kenneth Webb, recently released on early parole after serving 16 years in prison, is preparing to unveil his first major solo exhibition at Los Angeles’ Huma Gallery, per news.artnet.com. The show, titled “Hymns from the Cave,” represents not just an artistic milestone but a powerful story of rehabilitation, redemption and a remarkable testament to the transformative power of art.
Webb, now 34, was sentenced to 50 years to life for first-degree murder following the shooting death of 18-year-old Eron Mull in 2008. Instead of succumbing to despair, Webb discovered his artistic calling behind bars, eventually earning recognition from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation when he won top honours at the 2019 Antelope Valley Fair Art Exhibition.
“When we heard he was coming out, it was electrifying,” says Meetra Johansen, founder of Huma Gallery. “I had the gallery; he had the work.”
Johansen first discovered Webb’s art during the 2020 pandemic while researching prison art programmes, immediately recognising talent that she believed “should be hanging in the MoMA.”
The upcoming exhibition, running from January 11 through February 22, will showcase works created both during Webb’s incarceration and after his release.
The artist initially considered featuring only his post-prison pieces but ultimately decided to embrace his complete journey. “It became apparent that I shouldn’t neglect the work that I did prior to being free, and that that work is integral,” Webb explains.
Webb’s artistic development was nurtured by progressive corrections officers who granted him access to materials and opportunities that many inmates are denied. He flourished in a prison art studio programme where inmates could purchase their own supplies in exchange for donating their work to charitable causes. There, he studied everything from Renaissance masters to comic books, developing a unique style that bridges classical techniques with contemporary influences.
Now working as an emotional and social educator for children at Big Dogg Gang Intervention and Violence Protection, Webb is also pursuing an associate’s degree at Chaffey College. He plans to continue his formal art education, aspiring to earn a bachelor’s degree in art.
“I sat in captivity thinking about what it could look like to have a real art show,” Webb reflects. “To be here going through the process of creating that in real life feels surreal. I’m so humbled.”
The exhibition opens at Huma Gallery’s West Jefferson Boulevard location.
- Featured image: Kenneth Webb/Khalil Bowens/Huma Gallery
