Damaged Goods: 

The Damaged Goods artwork is somewhat of an abstract self-portrait. Ritchie looks strong, bold, and confident on the outside, but if you look a bit closer, most will find that there is more to him than meets the eye. Nevertheless, when Ritchie looks at Damaged Goods, he feels excited and intrigued.

Personal Value:

Damaged Goods is a personal piece to which all can relate. Regardless of the trauma or damage we suffer, we are not our mistakes and misfortunes. As an urban youth raised in the inner city of Detroit, Ritchie believes his actual value lies in the great things he represents today.

Inspiration:

Ritchie has a strong liking for lions. To him, they exude strength and power. He likes to think that if he were an animal, he would be a lion. Ritchie wanted to capture a lion’s true essence within the piece but then thought the piece needed more, so he added abstract versions of letters from the alphabet.

Materials:

Graphite.

Experience:

Ritchie began this artwork in 2018 and finished it in 2021. Over that time, Ritchie produced two beautiful children, became a homeowner, and began several new business ventures.

Story Behind:

Ritchie needs absolute control while creating art, and he never feels more in control than when holding a pencil.

Location:

He created the artwork in his office. His office is one of the places he feels most at peace.

Hope:

Ritchie hopes to create an experience for people. One of his ultimate goals is to make art that causes people to daydream. He wants them to get lost in the artwork. He wants to generate tons of questions and thoughts about what they are seeing. To him, that is the best type of art.

Time-Lapse:

As stated, the creation of this artwork took place between 2018 to 2021. During that time, Breonna Taylor and Botham Jean were killed in their homes by police officers, Covid-19 changed the entire world, an insurrection took place, and killer hornets were a thing. In short, this artwork shielded him from the chaos going on in the world during that period.