“This Sh-t Hard: Part I”
Make a statement in any room with this framed poster printed on high-quality paper, with a partly glossy, partly matte finish. • 10 mil (0.25 mm) thick paper • Paper weight: 260 g/m² • .75” (1.9 cm) thick ayous wood frame • Acrylite front protector • Hanging hardware included • Blank product components in the US sourced from Japan and the US • Blank product components in the EU sourced from Japan and Latvia How to attach hooks on 24″ × 36″ horizontal frames: Place each of the mounting hooks 1 inch (2.5 cm) from frame corners when hanging horizontally. COLLECTOR'S CURATORIAL STATEMENT “This Sh-t Hard: Part I” REIGNITED Series Ken Oswald “__yak” Vann, Jr. Mixed Media on 11×15 in Canvas Paper, 2026 $179.98 Collector-Facing Curatorial Statement “This Sh-t Hard: Part I” marks the opening gesture of Ken Oswald “__yak” Vann, Jr.’s REIGNITED series, and the foundational work within the “This Sh-t Hard” sub-series—an investigation into pressure, authorship, and the lived reality of being seen, tested, and continuously evaluated. At first glance, the work presents a striking visual tension: a black stencil figure, frozen mid-act with spray can in hand, emerges from a field of red rupture, fragmented text, and distressed surface. But this is not simply an image—it is a constructed environment of competing truths. Scripture, institutional language, and handwritten declaration collide, forming a layered composition where no single voice is allowed to dominate or resolve the others. The inclusion of biblical text referencing the story of Aaron’s rod (Numbers 17–18)—a moment where authority is divinely confirmed—anchors the work in a historical framework of validation. Yet here, that certainty is deliberately undone. Instead of resolution, the viewer encounters a contemporary condition in which legitimacy is never fully granted, only continually tested. The handwritten phrase “THIS SHIT HARD” serves as the emotional and conceptual core of the piece. It cuts through the formal and historical references with unfiltered clarity, grounding the work in lived experience. Where traditional narratives of authority rely on symbols of confirmation, Vann replaces them with a statement of endurance. The result is a work that does not celebrate recognition, but rather exposes the weight required to sustain it. Materially, the piece reinforces this tension. Charcoal introduces immediacy and instability, while coffee staining suggests time, memory, and erosion. Together, these elements create a surface that feels both deliberate and weathered—an artifact shaped as much by process as by intention. For collectors, this work represents a critical entry point into REIGNITED. It establishes the visual and conceptual language that will carry throughout the series: Text as contested territory The body as both maker and subject Mark-making as an act of persistence under pressure As the first piece in the “This Sh-t Hard” series, it holds particular significance—not only as a standalone work, but as the origin point of a broader narrative that unfolds across the collection. “This Sh-t Hard: Part I” is not concerned with resolution. It offers something more enduring: a clear-eyed articulation of what it means to create, to be seen, and to persist within systems that demand proof but rarely provide closure.
