About the Series "I CAN'T BREATHE"

"A Series that will change you... and the world"

If you want to collect a piece of history, this is the collection for you.

In this new series of 15 paintings named “I Can’t Breathe,” Katragadda uses vivid visual metaphors, color schemes and analogies to paint heart-wrenching stories such as: George Floyd calling to his mother while dying, mothers begging for abortions after the new abortion laws, the tragedy of the Ukraine War, and the US Border Crisis with infants separated from their parents .

He also touches of some older historical tragedies such as the Trail of Tears (the displacement of Native Americans from their lands), the Rape of Nanking (the most brutal of massacres in human history) and Columbine (touching on the issue of gun violence and school massacres in America). There is also a painting that reenacts the execution of an Indian rapist by his victims.

In short, the series exposes, and sears into our memory, humanitarian issues that hound us at the turn of the millennium, issues that have shaped our recent history— issues such as abortion, rape, equality, immigration, race, politics, climate change and so on— each told though a visual story.

Katragadda's hope is that his paintings serve as a time capsule for future generations, capturing the society that we live in, for posterity.

About the Style:

Holeism is a new art style founded by Katragadda hallmarked by his use of holes, cavities and conduits through which one subject trespasses the other, making them permeable.

Testimonials:

Your thoughtful, singular approach to such important subjects of social change and humanitarian issues is very appealing. Your work is excellent and absolutely should be seen.

--- the Director of Exhibitions and Collections at the Oceanside Museum of Art

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I Can't Breathe (Holeism Series)

THREE MOTHERS
60"x 48", Acrylic on Canvas, 2022

The vast majority of abortions – around nine-in-ten – occur during the first trimester of a pregnancy. Yet, laws have been changed recently to ban abortion, forcing women to carry babies they can't afford to bring into the world.

This painting depicts three mothers (seeking abortions) in surrender poses, riding a horse to their individual freedoms, but being held back/gored by a minotaur.
Holeism abstract western
I can't breath: Murder of GEORGE FLOYD
60x 48 inches, Acrylic on Canvas, 2022

“I’m not a mother, but when George Floyd called out for his Mama, I heard him. May 25, 2020” ― Charmaine J. Forde.

the cop, shown here as a minotaur, kneels on George's neck for more than 9 minutes, holding a stopwatch, watching the the man die. Behind, BLM protestors and WHITE SUPREMACISTS tussle. IN THE MOMENT OF DEATH, George is seen reaching out ot his mother, as onlookers close their eyes in horror.
The TRAIL OF TEARS
According to estimates based on tribal and military records, approximately 100,000 Indigenous people were forced from their homes during the Trail of Tears, and some 15,000 died during their relocation.

Here, we see the American flag in the color of blood, depicting its gory past, as immigrants pierce through, as do the oppressors.

60"x 48", Acrylic on Canvas, 2022
UKRAINE
There have been 3,459 Ukrainian civilians killed in this war, of which 238 were children. 19,000+ Russian troops have been killed Russia has lost at least 2000 military vehicles in Ukraine.

This painting shows a minotaur (oppression) riding a horse (Freedom) as it steals babies from brothers and hammers its own brothers into submission.

60"x 48", Acrylic on Canvas, 2022
The DEATH OF ART
60"x 48", Acrylic on Canvas, 2022

The Killing of the Creative Class! I mean, they're artists. They're supposed to suffer, right? It's this very prejudice that has allowed "a great Depression" to go on right under our noses for the past decade without any outcry.

the gutting of the average artist's income over the past decadE has forced them to the streets, as is shown in this painting: artist sitting on a homeless man, his future self. When the artists go, a whole ecosystem goes with them – publicists and roadies, critics and video-store clerks.
THE EXECUTION OF A RAPIST
When hundreds of women descended on Nagpur district court armed with knives, stones and chilli powder, within minutes the man who raped them lay dead.

This moving scene is of LORD NARASIMHA, the man-lion, an aVATAR OR LORD VISHNU, who descends to earth during tumultuous times. Here, he's showing goring the rapist, while the victims join in his execution.

60"x 48", Acrylic on Canvas, 2022
Colombine
Each day 12 children die from gun violence in America. Another 32 are shot and injureD. The U.S. has had 2,032 school shootings since 1970 and these numbers are increasing. Alarmingly, 948 school shootings have taken place since the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December 2012.

This composition has a lot imagery: the dying boy at the bottom, the girl and a teacher fighting off a shooter, and a minotaur, protecting the shooter, goring the girls. The shooter has on a single sock with a smily face, reflecting mental issues. The Minotaur, despite its huge horns, is depicted with teats (female), revealing its fake show of power.

60"x 48", Acrylic on Canvas, 2022
Give my baby back
According to the government’s status report, there were 2,654 children Separated from their parents at the bORDER.

this painting has several symbolisms: mothers being separated from their children, some from their wombs, as the flags of the US and Mexico fly above them. The minotaur shown stealing the baby is a symbol of irrational power and tyranny.

60x 48 inches, Acrylic on Canvas ), 2022
Rape of Nanjing
The Nanjing Massacre, also called Rape of Nanjing (December 1937–January 1938), was the mass killing and the ravaging of Chinese citizens and capitulated soldiers by soldiers of the Japanese Imperial Army after its seizure of Nanjing, China, on December 13, 1937, during the Sino-Japanese War that preceded World War II
The scene depicted here is of the The contest to kill 100 people using a sword, which happened during the massacre.

60"x 48", Acrylic on Canvas, 2022
Beef Ban
24x 48, Acrylic on Canvas (Diptych), 2022
Sid Katragadda

One animal is abused every minute. Annually, over 10 million animals in the US are abused to death. 97% of animal cruelty cases come from farms, where most of these creatures die. Laboratory testing uses 115 million animals in experiments every year.Jan 8, 2022
Beef Ban
24x 48, Acrylic on Canvas (Diptych), 2022
Sid Katragadda

One animal is abused every minute. Annually, over 10 million animals in the US are abused to death. 97% of animal cruelty cases come from farms, where most of these creatures die. Laboratory testing uses 115 million animals in experiments every year.Jan 8, 2022
Jallianwala
24x 48, Acrylic on Canvas (Diptych), 2022
Sid Katragadda

Jallianwala Massacre: Estimates of those killed vary between 379 and 1500+ people and over 1,200 other people were injured of whom 192 were seriously injured. Responses polarised both the British and Indian peoples. Anglo-Indian author Rudyard Kipling declared at the time that Dyer "did his duty as he saw it"
Climate Change
24x 48, Acrylic on Canvas (Diptych), 2022
Sid Katragadda

Interesting Facts About Climate Change
We Are Certain We Caused It. ...
CO2 Is At Its Highest in 2 Million Years. ...
We Are Losing 1.2 Trillion Tons of Ice Each Year. ...
Attribution Is Now Possible (Extreme Weather) ...
Global Warming Is (Partially) Reversible. ...
We Lost 302.4 Billion Work Hours to Excessive Heat In 2019.
Holeism- Western Artist Media Kit - 2

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