The Cost of Being Seen
Visibility, and the receipt for it
Inquiries for this piece are handled by Carol Ward, Collector Relations, Outside the Lines Gallery, representing Milton Wes Art.
Being seen was never free. This is the receipt.
The Cost of Being Seen is about what visibility gives and what it takes back. Both sit on the same face because the series was never interested in pretending recognition comes without a price.
This one-of-one work by Harlem artist Corey Wesley is the work that gave Unapologetic Faces: The Cost of Being Seen its name.
The work has been acquired and is privately held.
Explore more from Unapologetic Faces: Presence Undiminished, Two Truths, One Body, and The Face That Trauma Built.
Contact Carol Ward About This Piece
Corey Wesley
Harlem shaped his practice: the faces on the subway, in recovery rooms, and in the space between performance and collapse. He creates what remains when the face stops performing.
His proprietary mixed-media process combines writing, Photoshop, Illustrator, and modern technology, including AI-assisted tools. Over days or months, he refines symbolism, color, composition, facial structure, and emotional tone until each work carries his recognizable visual language.
The faces in these works are archetypes. They belong to everyone. And no one.
More Available Works
Each one of one. Once acquired, it does not return.
