(Philadelphia, PA) — Malelani Cafe Mt. Airy, the hottest and most energetic cafe in the Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia, will be presenting Unarmed Black Male, a solo exhibition featuring the Stuckism/Pop-Art work of Larry West. The exhibition will run May 3 – June 6, with an opening reception on Sunday, May 3 from 2pm to 4:30pm. The opening and exhibition are free and open to the public.

With the recent wave of news about unarmed black males, Larry West, a local illustrator and designer, had this to say about the show:

“As a fellow unarmed black male, I wanted to show the world that we don’t have to just be statistics. We can be amazing artists, designers, and productive members of society. Granted, the current news doesn’t show that, so I figured it was about time to show the other side. Do Black Lives Matter only when the person is dead, or are we going to support them when they’re alive?”

Larry West’s style has focused on skewing contemporary society, and Unarmed Black Male is the latest example of this. The show features over 20 pieces that range from his take on recent protests, religious movements, to pop-culture. His clients have included Megadeth, the Ron Paul Presidential Election Campaign, Wednesday 13, Dancing Ferret Converts, and the Admiral Theater. Always controversial and never safe, Larry’s sought-after and award-winning work has been featured in Rolling Stone and the book The Art Of Metal.

Malelani Cafe in Mt. Airy is located at 6734 Germantown Ave in Philadelphia, PA and can be reached at 267-766-2396. Larry West is a Philadelphia artist who was born and raised in the Mt. Airy section and has never left.