The title Portrait of Oppression (Homage to Black South Africans), suggests that Andrews' image is an allegory. Andrews did not choose to paint a specific person, rather he painted a sightless, bound, agonized, tortured figure to illustrate an actual embodiment of oppression. A painting with a black sightless male, meant to be looked at by the eyes of viewers, highlights the irony of oppression. As viewers, you and I can freely and willingly look at the image of the man. However, the man cannot look back at us, those who witness his suffering.