Artist Name: R.V. Monroe (Robert & Venice Monroe)
Medium:  Laser engraving on natural wood, mounted on hand-painted wood panels within a custom wood frame
Dimensions: 12 inch x 12 inch
 
Statement:
The Horn and the Crown explores the balance between raw instinct and earned wisdom. Through pyrography on stained wood, two seated figures engage in a quiet exchange—one crowned with horns, representing ancestral intuition and spiritual grounding; the other with a crown, symbolizing refined leadership and intentional presence.
 
This work is part of a continuing series investigating Black sovereignty, personal legacy, and sacred duality. It reflects our commitment as collaborative artists to fuse both form and narrative. The red-stained background was selected to evoke sacred space—inviting the viewer into a ceremonial encounter, rather than a static image.
 
As R.V. Monroe, we approach our work from two lived perspectives. Robert Monroe draws on his background in agricultural economics and his cultural formation in Brooklyn, Long Island, and the American South. His work is deeply shaped by rhythm, movement, and ancestral memory. Venice Monroe, a Detroit native and mental health professional with a degree in psychology, contributes emotional architecture, balance, and care to each piece.
 
Together, we aim to create work that is deeply rooted, technically sound, and emotionally resonant. The Horn and the Crown is both a meditation and a statement—asking what leadership and legacy look like when power is expressed through presence rather than force.