Wood Burning
After reading Khaled Hosseini's heart wrenching novel, "A Thousand Splendid Suns" I was inspired to create this piece. Based off the famous national geographic portrait "Afghan Girl", the girl in this piece is covered with a red hijab. Unveiled, by physically moving the red fabric, the viewer can read the chilling Taliban radio broadcast aired in 1996 upon invasion of Afghanistan.
Pre-Taliban rule, the hijab was an optional covering often with the good intentions of modesty. Burkas, constraining full body coverings, were required for women after the invasion to cover the "source of corruption". The hijab was an accepted foothold into the further oppression to come with the invasion, which is why it is shown as opposed to the burka.
Beneath the Hijab
20" X 24"
2010
Medium: Wood, wood burning fabric, chain, acrylic, India ink
A map of Memphis, Tennessee makes up the first layer of this piece. The roots of the veins start from the routes of the map and flow through the various anatomical parts of the skull. Using a medical science book, the different layers of the head were created to be anatomically correct. In the background the burnt veins were created based off a map of Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Anatomical Map
14" X 15"
2012
Medium: Wood, wood burning, India ink, paper map, acrylic, watercolor
Brave New Me
35" X 16"
2010
Medium: Wood, woodburning, acrylic, India ink, oil
The background quote is from my favorite book "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley. Mustpha Mond the controller explains to John the Savage how and why their society is sheltered for control.
This sheltering includes abandonment as well as concealment of art, religion, literature, philosopy-all the things essential to culture for promoting free thinking. The tradeoff is that this new world has stabilized its society to no longer have the discomforts of the old world, such as disease, over thinking, death, or even love.
The quote is John the Savages reply to Mustpha Mond's speech, "But I don't want comfort. I want God, I want poetry, I want real danger, I want freedom, I want goodness, I want sin."
Tranced
47" X 17"
2012
Medium: Wood, Pen & India ink, acrylic, watercolor
The Ties That Bind Us
12" X 17"
2011
Medium: Wood, wood burning, acrylic, nails, floss
Created for an abstract visual narrative class focused around the ideas of space in relation to ourselves. I created this piece to reflect my feelings of being trapped in the busy world I created for myself.
This self portrait was my first attempt at wood burning,
Mini Self Portrait
5" X 10"
2010
Medium: Wood, wood burning, acrylic