Per-pose

Abstract

This piece started as a mere homage to one of my favourite musicians: Stevie Nicks. However, as time went on, I began to focus less on representing one specific person and instead personifying and representing what I felt and saw in the tumultuous world around me. Creating this work became a form of healing and expression that allowed me to say what cannot be said by words alone. It is an expression of the inner turmoil that comes from fighting the oppressive nature of intolerant social and political structures that dampen the richness of diversity and inclusivity. It is a representation of both the struggle and purpose behind our calls to action. Ultimately, it is a symbol of both the hope and struggle of past, present, and future global citizens. 

To represent a movement towards inclusivity, a colour scheme of the traditional pink and blue dyad becomes fluid and interchangeable while being complemented by subtle splashes of all colours of the rainbow. This wide array of colours that drip from the subject’s stoic presence serves to symbolize the diversity of our world and pays homage to the silenced voices of gender, culture, and race, while embodying the strength and beauty that unity within diversity brings. While holding her head high, the subject expresses the strength and courage necessary to overcome the social, political, and environmental barriers that stand in the way of expression and inclusion. While holding this dignified and powerful pose, she retains her humanity and allows a stream of multicoloured tears to fall bravely from her face to express the immense hardships of systemic power imbalances rooted in racism, sexism, and economic inequality that we continue to face in our journey towards justice and equality. While meditating on these struggles, she also embodies the motivation that stems from these challenges: the purpose behind our protests, the goal that is creating a future where we find beauty in our differences and where we embrace the richness that a collective, equal, and inclusive world brings.