Brutally Soft
*Available
This piece is inspired by a combination of lots of thoughts. It was created after a trip to Baltimore, Maryland -- a city rich in American History. Baltimore was one of the doors through which Africans were forced into this country. On my trip I found myself imagining what it must have felt like to arrive to a foreign land and to have your identity, your will and your rights stripped away.
I few months ago I read about a woman named Saartjie (Sarah) Baartman, a slave who was purchased and sold to be scrutinized as a circus sideshow freak because of her big pronounced butt and her voluptuous looks. The story about her was horrific which is why it stayed in the back of my mind... Her body came to mind as my hands sculpted this form.
This piece was also inspired by thoughts of gentrification as individuals are being pushed out of places they once considered home, losing a sense of self, a sense of grounding, a peace of mind...