A raw, expressive portrait by Sedrick Huckaby, featuring gestural line work and handwritten text that explores themes of faith and personal struggle.

Sedrick Huckaby is an American artist known for his focus on the human figure and the textures of everyday life. This work, part of his 99% series, presents a portrait rendered with raw, immediate mark-making. The subject is depicted in profile, with the artist employing a dense, scribbled technique that builds form through layers of dark, gestural lines. The drawing style prioritises emotional weight over anatomical precision, creating a sense of urgency and vulnerability.

The inclusion of handwritten text within the composition integrates the subject's personal narrative directly into the visual field. The script at the top reads, 'In all thy ways acknowledge him and he will direct thy path,' while the lower section includes the plea, 'Please pray for me. I am constantly being tested on the job.' These phrases transform the portrait into a document of human experience, grounding the work in the realities of faith, labour, and personal struggle. The stark contrast between the black ink and the off-white paper surface emphasises the graphic quality of the lines, which vary from light, tentative scratches to heavy, emphatic strokes.

Huckaby often draws inspiration from his family and community in Fort Worth, Texas. His approach to portraiture avoids idealisation, choosing instead to capture the character and spirit of his sitters through a tactile, almost sculptural application of medium. This print reflects his interest in the intersection of personal history and broader social conditions. By combining portraiture with autobiographical text, the artist invites the viewer to engage with the subject not merely as a visual object, but as a person with a specific history and set of concerns. The work functions as a quiet, contemplative study of an individual, rendered with a directness that is characteristic of Huckaby's broader practice.