Untethered

Mixed media on toned paper

2019

The black woman has been shackled with the baggage of centuries of racial discrimination, religious and social control, censorship as well as sexual repression. The residual influence that slavery has had on society has led to a collective diminishing of the black woman.  This media-imposed societal straitjacket has controlled the way women of colour have been perceived and represented in the media for generations.  We are forced to walk a stereotypical tightrope that forces us to censor our selves so as to not be seen as too loud, too angry, too curvy or inherently too black. This piece represents the unburdening of the black woman and her acceptance of self. The female figure’s pose is relaxed and open to exploring her thoughts, her body, her sexuality and her place in the world. The gold intermingled with the neutral tones represent her innate self as valuable, regal and important. The repetitive zentangle patterns and loose rope around the body depict the unwinding and liberation from the mental and social bonds holding her in place.