Delphian Magazine
The Voice of Redemption Art
Delphian Magazine is a platform for peer‑directed instruction in art history, culture, and art‑making techniques.
Through our platform and that of our gallery, we focus directly on artist agency to ensure their voices are never silenced. Delphian Magazine stands as a bulwark to protect the art of the incarcerated and formerly incarcerated from any who would abuse their creativity for personal gain.
Why Delphian?
According to mythology, shortly after his birth, the Greek god Apollo set out to slay the great beast Python. This monster had tormented his mother during labor, chasing her across Greece to the shores of the Mediterranean. Apollo, determined to avenge his mother, tracked the serpent to its lair. After a titanic struggle between the forces of light and darkness, the dread serpent Python lay dead at Apollo’s feet. This earned him the name Pytheus, meaning “The Slayer.” Apollo then claimed the area where Python had laired, for it was a place of great power, a place where prophecy could be heard. This place is known as Delphi.
For centuries, the citizens of Delphi held a festival every four years to celebrate Apollo’s heroic feat, the Pythian Games. Brave young men from all across Greece competed in the hopes of fame and glory. However, these games drew fewer spectators compared to the number of pilgrims who made the arduous journey to hear a prophecy from the Oracle of Delphi. If the oracle was the mouthpiece of prophecy, then the language of Delphi itself was the very voice of prophecy. This language (or dialect, to be precise) is known as Delphian.
For Those Who Have Walked the Tiers
This platform is for those of us who know the weight of the state blues, whether you are still walking those tiers today or you’ve finally stepped beyond the gate. Delphian was born from 15 years of shared struggle and the conviction that our humanity is not defined by a number or a cell. We know the ingenuity it takes to create beauty from instant coffee, soap bars, and floor wax. This is your magazine. This is your voice. This is our record.