In the United States, more than 200,000 people are serving life sentences. In Illinois, approximately 4,300 people are serving life or de facto life, a sentence of forty years or more. In 1978 Illinois eliminated parole, making it one of the six states where all life sentences are imposed without the possibility of parole. Of the people serving life without parole in Illinois, 67% are Black and 53% are 55 years old or older, statistics that underscore the racism and decades-long impact of life sentencing. Yet, every human represented in these numbers is so much more than a statistic.  ​ Inspired by the popular Humans of New York photography project highlighting stories and photographs of the varied people on the streets of New York, More Beautiful, More Terrible: Humans of Life Row explores the views, hopes, worries, aspirations, and everyday lives of the diverse array of people concealed by the logics and structures of mass incarceration. Through personal narratives, artistic expressions, installations, and poetic verse, this exhibition shines a light on the people who inhabit 'life row.' The collected works create space for contributing artists, family members, policy makers, public officials, and the wider public to learn more about themselves, each other, society, and the consequences of life sentencing in hopes to inspire alternative forms of justice, accountability, and healing.