Posted inArt & Illustrations

All Alone in a Crowded Prison

When I look down from my cell, I see so many people, but still feel lonely.

by Biktor B. September 20, 2023September 15, 2023

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All Alone in a Crowded Prison

by Biktor B., Prison Journalism Project
September 20, 2023

<h1>All Alone in a Crowded Prison</h1>
<p class="byline">by Biktor B., Prison Journalism Project <br />September 20, 2023</p>
 
<p>Every day, impatiently waiting to get to my cell, No. 261, I look down from where I'm standing and see how crowded my prison unit is with inmates. Some of them are gang members, standing guard and ready to fight or defend their turf. I'm not a gang member, so I’ve always felt alone.</p>
<p>This routine of waiting and watching inspired me to paint this artwork. In this rendering, I chose to leave the people out.&nbsp;</p>
<p>I wish I had a camera to take a photo. Instead, I used a canvas, two paintbrushes that I acquired because of my job as a hobby clerk, and extra paint I received from a maintenance worker. I did this illustration in about a week. It was my first time painting on canvas.</p>


 <p>This <a target="_blank" href="https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2023/09/20/painting-feeling-loneliness-prison/">article</a> first appeared on <a target="_blank" href="https://prisonjournalismproject.org">Prison Journalism Project</a> and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.<img src="https://i0.wp.com/prisonjournalismproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/cropped-PJP-favicon-2.png?fit=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1" style="width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;"><img id="republication-tracker-tool-source" src="https://prisonjournalismproject.org/?republication-pixel=true&post=31088" style="width:1px;height:1px;"></p>

Painting on canvas of an empty prison cellblock — Illustration by Biktor B

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Every day, impatiently waiting to get to my cell, No. 261, I look down from where I’m standing and see how crowded my prison unit is with inmates. Some of them are gang members, standing guard and ready to fight or defend their turf. I’m not a gang member, so I’ve always felt alone.

This routine of waiting and watching inspired me to paint this artwork. In this rendering, I chose to leave the people out.

I wish I had a camera to take a photo. Instead, I used a canvas, two paintbrushes that I acquired because of my job as a hobby clerk, and extra paint I received from a maintenance worker. I did this illustration in about a week. It was my first time painting on canvas.

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Biktor B.

Biktor B. is a writer and published poet incarcerated in California. He writes under a pen name,

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