In 1997, Halim A. Flowers was arrested at the age of 16 and given two life sentences. His experiences were filmed in the Emmy award-winning documentary Thug Life In DC. In 2005, he started his own publishing company, through which he published 11 books.
In 2019, Halim was released from prison after serving 22 years. Upon his release, Halim was awarded the Halcyon Arts Lab and Echoing Green fellowship awards. In 2020, he signed to be represented by DTR Modern Galleries as a visual artist. His visual art has been commissioned for the Queen of England Platinum Jubilee, Warner Brothers centennial celebration, live painting at the Royal Wedding of Norway for Princess Martha and exhibited at the Venice Biennale with the European Cultural Center. He has done panel discussions with Milken Institute, Silicon Valley Bank, and Blackstone.
https://www.halim-flowers.com
Education
Autodidact
Exhibition History
Group
2025
Syncopation, Clarence James & Halim A. Flowers, Street Fest, Union Market, Washington, D.C. USA.
Syncopation, Clarence James & Halim A. Flowers, DTR Modern, Galleries, Boston, MA. USA.
2024
Venice Biennale, “Personal Structures”, European Culture Center. Venice, Italy.
2023
No Justice Without Love, Ford Foundation Gallery, NYC, NY. USA.
Schomberg Center for Research in Black Culture, “Marking Time: Art
In The Age of Mass Incarceration”, NYC, NY. USA.
Roots & Reflections, Firetti Contemporary, Dubai, UAE.
World Art Dubai, Champop Galerie, Dubai, UAE.
LA Art Show Art Fair, DTR Modern Galleries, Los Angeles, CA. USA.
2022
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, “Marking Time: Art
In The Age of Mass Incarceration”, Cincinnati, OH. USA.
2021
Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts at the University of Alabama-Birmingham, Marking Time: Art in the Age of Mass Incarceration”, Birmingham, AL. USA.
The Phillips Collection, “Our Logo Reimagined”, Washington, D.C. USA.
2020
Metro Pictures Gallery, “Seating Chart for a Fall Dinner Party in a Pandemic”, NY, NY. USA.
MoMA PS1, “Marking Time: Art In The Age of Mass Incarceration”, Queens, NY. USA.
SOLO
2025 LindenPlatz Galerie, Vaduz, Liechtenstein.
2025 Champop Galerie, Paris France.
2025 Paradiso Ibiza Art Hotel, Ibiza, SPAIN.
2024 Monica Graham Fine Art Gallery, Carmel By The Sea, CA. USA.
2024 Blackstone Headquarters, NYC, NY. USA.
2024 Phillips Theological Seminary, Tulsa, OK. USA
2023 Champop Galerie, Paris, France.
2023 Nicole Longnecker Gallery, Houston, TX. USA.
2021 National Arts Club, NYC, NY. USA
2021 Stella Jones Gallery, New Orleans, LA. USA.
2020 DC Homme, Washington, D.C. USA.
Collaborations
2023 Warner Brothers Centennial Celebration
https://wbshop.com/pages/wb100-artist-series
2022 Evening Standard/Buckingham Palace (Queen of England Platinum
Jubilee Celebration) https://www.standard.co.uk/insider/queen-platinum-jubilee-exclusive-merchandise-artists-b1001953.html
Performances
2020
Hochstein Hall(American Choral Directors Association Eastern Division Conference) - Rochester, NY
Proximity LA Exhibit - Los Angeles, CA
Union Square Apple Store - San Francisco, CA
Charles H. Wright Museum - Detroit, MI
2019
Kanye West Sunday Service(Howard University Homecoming) - Washington, DC
Hirshhorn Museum - Washington, DC
Carnegie Library Apple Store - Washington, DC
By The People Festival(Halcyon House) - Washington, DC
Bibliography
Sandra Biffot-Lacut, “The US Artist Who Went From Prison Cell To Paris Show”, May 2023
Elliot C. Williams, “Halim Flowers Was Given Two Life Sentences At 17”, NPR, December 2021
Brian Bushard, “Redemption through art”, The Inquirer and Mirror, June 2021
Mark Jenkins, “In the galleries: A focus on the intersection of art and movement”, Washington Post, February 2021
Alandete, David, “Media vida en la cárcel por el crimen de otro”, ABC Internacional, December 2019
Bercito, Diogo, “Ex-preso, escritor dos EUA quer destruir sistema carcerário”, Folha De S.Paulo, November 2019
Ryals, Mitch, “How To End A Sentence”, Washington City Paper, October 2019
Published books:
Anamnesis (2025)
Artonomics: Business of Ideas (2025)
Art Trafficking: How To Approach The Plug (2025)
Art TrafficKing At The Airport (2025)
Blockchain Gang: From The Block to the Blockchain(2025)
Block to Blockchain (2025)
#UNCHAINABLE (2018)
NIGGERNOMICS (2015)
TIME (2014)
BE GREAT WHEREVER YOU ARE (2014)
MAKINGS OF A MENACE, CONTRITION OF A MAN (2014)
MIND OVER MATTER (2014)
WHAT OUR FATHERS NEVER TOLD US (2014)
FOR YOUNG OFFENDERS (2014)
A REASON TO BREATHE VOLUME II (2014)
BURIED ALIVE (2006)
A REASON TO BREATHE (2005)
Fellowships
Halcyon Arts Lab 2019
Echoing Green Black Male Achievement (2019)