Having grown up in Southern Baptist culture, the questions of struggle, control, sin, and acceptance of self have been recurring themes throughout my development. What is truly “holy”? What does it mean when someone who is meant to love and accept you based on their religion desires to yield power over you? Why is it so easy to hate someone for doing what’s best for them, and who benefits from all of this hatred? What benefit is there in punishing one another for the very act of being human? In the Bible there is a mythical, angelic creature called the Ophanim. It is an angel composed of two perpendicular wheels, covered in eyes on every surface. These wheels carry the weight of the throne of God, are skilled in moving in any direction, and never sleep. In this installation, I have collected the eyes of women and the women-identifying, as well as individuals who feel as if their bodily autonomy is in question to symbolize a New Ophanim. These eyes carry the weight of our rights to bodily autonomy, choice, and the pervasive acceptance of humanness.
55”x96”x2” hand drawn ceramic tile, various tile on panel
hand drawn ceramic tiles
Installed in the Atlanta Contemporary Secret Garden, work in progress (more panels to follow)
Installed in the Atlanta Contemporary Secret Garden, work in progress (more panels to follow)
hand drawn ceramic tiles, various tiles