Resistance
Resistance (2017)
18¼x24¼ Pastel on Pastel Paper
Original is Sold
The likelihood that your acts of resistance cannot stop the injustice does not exempt you from acting in what you sincerely and reflectively hold to be the best interests of your community. — Susan Sontag
The oppression, indignity, suffering, and even death inflicted on our fellow human beings often originates from hate, ignorance, and fear. These are the powerful forces we must always fight against, whether they originate from others or from deep within ourselves. For this piece, I chose a symbolic, allegorical narrative that feels deeply personal yet universal. If you look closely at the massive boulder our subject is striving against, you will see terms like "Hate," "Fear," and "Ignorance" etched into the stone in multiple languages. Working in pastel, I focused on the raw physical strain of his muscular, nude form, holding back the crushing weight to protect a single, delicate white daisy blooming at his feet. The dramatic contrast between the bruised, stormy sky and the brilliant red horizon underscores the eternal, uphill battle for a more compassionate world.
