say their names“say their names” is a piece honoring people of color who have lost their lives to police brutality. The stamping of the names in this piece took a total of 4 hours to complete. The time spent stamping the many names was very powerful and reflective. It is important to remember that those who have died are far more than statistics, they are people, and their names deserve to be heard and remembered.
process video: vimeo.com/455955977 media: acrylic and leaf on wood dimensions: 20x20in created: august 26, 2020-sept 8, 2020 |
where's your mask?
“Stay at home” has been the common mantra that has been repeated since early in the year. When the coronavirus hit we were tossed into a world of uncertainty. News outlets were quick to report the findings and recommendations of health organizations, medical professionals, and local governments. The internet was flooded with diagrams and posters of proper handwashing and coughing techniques as well as diagrams of coronavirus symptoms and the steps to take if you experienced them. Mask mandates soon followed which received both praise and backlash from various groups. This artwork is a collage of the San Francisco Chronicle’s front page from March 17, 2020, elements from virus prevention diagram graphic designs, as well as the image of the iconic plague doctor mask. The plague doctor mask in medieval times was a tight fitting mask that was thought to be essential in preventing the inhalation of disease-ridden air. Medicine has evolved from the middle ages but the mask still stands today as a testament to the evolving knowledge about disease and also the relationships between doctors and patients.
Media: acrylic on wood Dimensions: 24x24in Date created: 8/5/20 |
kind
This piece was inspired by some morning reading in connection to the events that are currently unfolding in the world around us.
For some justice seems to be a gray area where everything must remain ambiguous, formal, conservative, sophisticated. For others justice is fluid, like a dance or march - yet firmly rooted as a protestor standing still for hours. Justice is a partner that we walk with toward a better tomorrow. We must strive toward true justice for all. We are talking about human lives. To be just is to be kind. 2020 |
look after each otherThis painting is a tribute to those whose hearts yearned for justice. Inspired by the events of 2020 such as Covid-19, the Black Lives Matter movement, as well as challenges that immigrants to the United States are faced with it is important to see each other for who we are and to be present to each person's struggles that they are facing. Each human person has a unique perspective that they can share with the world to create change. The people that are present within the work are (top left to right): Sophia Cruz: Sophia is the daughter of undocumented immigrants to the U.S. She started making headlines at age five after handing the Pope a letter expressing her fear of ICE. Since then Sophia has continued to be an activist for the rights of those who are undocumented. Yuri Kochiyama: Yuri was the daughter of two immigrants. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor during WWII Kochiyama was incarcerated in one of the Japanese incarceration camps within the U.S. Kochiyama spent much of her life advocating for Black liberation, Puerto Rican independence, freeing U.S. Political prisoners. She also fought against racial profiling advocating for solidarity, understanding, and the 'togetherness of all peoples'. Martin Luther King Jr.: Martin Luther King Jr. otherwise known as MLK was a major figure in the modern American Civil Rights Movement. Drawing from his personal faith and Candhi MLK led a peaceful movement to advocate for freedom of African Americans within the United States. MLK used protests and powerful speeches to create a huge movement toward change. (bottom left to right): Malala Yousafzai: Malala from a very young age developed a love for education, this love was challenged when the Taliban took control of her village when she was ten. Girls were banned from attending school and doing other various activities. Malala began to speak out publicly against the Taliban. Throughout her campaign for her right to receive her education she became an internationally displaced person (IDP) because of the threats to her personal safety. At age 15 Malala was shot by the Taliban while she was on a school bus. Malala continues to advocate for education for girls, empowering them to become agents of change. Greta Thunberg: Greta began campaigning for climate change at the age of 15. She began by missing classes on fridays by sitting in front of the Swedish parliament building with a sign that read, "School Strike for Climate." Since then she has became a powerforce for the face of climate change in the world creating movements drawing attention to the issue of climate change.
2020 |