During the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, illustration became a refuge for Nashville artist Shabazz Larkin. While the world slowed down and uncertainty filled the air, Larkin turned to drawing as a daily act of focus and escape.

These works capture that moment in time. Each illustration reflects fragments of memory, culture, humor, and resilience, offering small portraits of everyday Black life during a period when creativity became a way to process the unknown.