A new exhibition at the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe showcases how imprisoned individuals use art as a means of escape and self-expression. "Between the Lines: Prison Art & Advocacy" features works created by incarcerated artists using limited resources, demonstrating the profound impact of creative processes on both personal growth and social understanding.

The exhibition's centerpiece includes an intricately folded paper eagle created by Djan Shun Lin, who was imprisoned after the ship carrying him and hundreds of other Chinese asylum-seekers ran aground in New York in 1993. His piece "Eagle" (1993-96) symbolizes a yearning for freedom from both a repressive homeland and the prison cell, capturing the universal desire for liberation through artistic expression.

The museum has installed the exhibition in an open-plan space with a subtle color palette, deliberately contrasting with the cramped, divided, and stark conditions of penitentiaries. This thoughtful presentation makes the artwork more accessible while humanizing both the art and the artists, avoiding any fetishization of their circumstances.

The diverse collection encompasses sculpture, jewelry, decorated clothing, murals, and paño arte (ink drawings on fabric), with animals being particularly prevalent in sculptural works. Given the resource-poor environment in which they were created, these pieces showcase remarkable ingenuity through the use of repurposed materials including pillowcases, sock threads, handkerchiefs, candy wrappers, cigarette packages, and matchsticks.

The resourcefulness displayed by these artists sometimes approaches genius-level innovation. In a video demonstration featured in the exhibition, formerly incarcerated artist Candice Martinez shows how she disassembled a hair dryer and repurposed cigarette lighters and ballpoint pens to create a tattoo gun. She proudly displays the word "Courage" tattooed on her foot, created with her improvised equipment.

While most prison artists remain unknown to the broader public, the exhibition includes work by some who have gained recognition. Notable pieces include a large-scale paper bag drawing by celebrated outsider artist Martin Ramirez and a striking small-scale sculpture depicting a courtroom scene by renowned Tesuque Pueblo artist Manuel Vigil. Many other artists, though not widely recognized, have built familial and local recognition for their work, which serves as a crucial component of social restoration for those serving time.

The practical benefits of prison art extend beyond personal expression. In an interview featured in one of the exhibition's videos, incarcerated artist Jerry Tapia celebrates his art's monetary earnings, noting with pride that financial independence means he doesn't "have to ask any of my family" for support.

"Between the Lines" demonstrates ambitious scope in both its global reach and historical perspective. The exhibition includes a section dedicated to ethnic Japanese people interned by the United States during World War II, while an early 2000s woodcarving from Palau signed by "Bayo R." illustrates how normalized and far-reaching carceral systems have become worldwide. Though representation focuses primarily on contemporary artists in Southwestern institutions, the show highlights universal concerns including harsh conditions, alienation, and aspirations for better human outcomes.

The exhibition stops short of explicitly confronting larger issues surrounding incarceration, such as racism within the United States justice system or fundamental questions about prison's purpose—whether it should focus on punishment, rehabilitation, or creating more secure societies. While there's no direct discussion of prison reform or abolition, the exhibition implies that greater official recognition and support of prison art could contribute more effectively to restorative justice than current restrictive approaches to incarceration.

The exhibition references successful international models, noting that Brazil's "Remission for Reading" program, implemented in 2012, has reduced individual sentences when prisoners read books and write reports, leading to dramatic reductions in recidivism rates. "Between the Lines" suggests that by showing incarcerated individuals developing skills and building communities, similar approaches could be successfully applied to art-making programs.

The exhibition ultimately proposes that instead of endlessly holding individuals accountable for past actions, society might better serve justice by supporting these artists in creating, building, and restoring futures through positive present-day actions. This approach could transform the current punitive system into one that fosters genuine rehabilitation and social reintegration.

"Between the Lines: Prison Art & Advocacy" continues at the Museum of International Folk Art, located on Museum Hill at 706 Camino Lejo in Santa Fe, New Mexico, through September 2. The exhibition was curated by the museum's own staff and represents a significant contribution to conversations about criminal justice, art therapy, and the transformative power of creative expression.