Caste #2 | Keith M. Francis

Caste #2 by Keith M. Francis. A minimalist wall sculpture using painted wood blocks to examine social stratification, racial hierarchy, and systemic categorization.

Caste #2, 2023. Mixed-media installation, 54 x 22.5 in. (overall). This installation features five wooden blocks finished with latex paint. Arranged vertically with equal spacing, the colors descend from white at the top to yellow, red, brown, and finally black at the base. Inspired by Isabel Wilkerson’s Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, the work serves as a minimalist visual metaphor for the entrenched, color-coded power dynamics of the American social infrastructure. Note: The pieces are interchangeable, allowing the visual hierarchy to be modified and challenged.

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