Megumi Nakazawa, founder of Faces of Mass Incarceration is a 23 year old artist who uses oil portraiture to elevate the stories of the formerly incarcerated, system impacted and survivors of trauma. Faces of Mass Incarceration first began as Megumi’s senior thesis and continued to evolve into a large scale project. With the goal of painting 100 portraits, Megumi paints each person from life in a span of 2-3 hours. As she paints, the subjects are given the freedom to share their stories. This initiative reshapes the narrative on mass incarceration, inviting both individuals and observers to recognize the inherent value, beauty and dignity in each story. Faces of Mass Incarceration has been exhibited at Biola University, Oceanside Museum of Art, Art Share LA, The Prism Way, Alcatraz Island, Salinas Valley State Prison, and The Untold Story Bookstore.