Artist Statement
As an artist, I believe I have the responsibility to document history and to tell a story. As a womanist, I internalize the significance of telling the story through my lens.
“Meditations of the Heart” is a documentation of my meditations and prayers.
As I began my matriculation at Wesley I experienced a deconstruction of my romanticized faith. After having conversations with my mentor Dr. Shively Smith and reading Howard Thurman’s Meditations of the Heart, I came to the conclusion that God is big enough to handle my frustrations, God is not intimidated by my questions, and to love is to honor the tension.
Throughout this work, I dealt with the topics of theodicy, dehumanization, human dignity and the Africanization of the biblical text. I wanted to embrace the tension of these realities and be present in the moment. I wanted to show up in these very difficult moments and document my lamentations, my questions, my hopes, and my confusion.
I am sure that those who interact with these pieces will receive them in various ways but a central goal of mine is to affirm the humanity of the people in these pieces, to document the history and to hopefully invoke real feelings. We live in a paradigm where violence, catastrophes, social justice initiatives and black bodies are sensationalized.
I challenged myself and I hope to challenge others to be present in the tension, to feel what others are still feeling, to not forget, and to be deeper touch with our humanity.
My Process
In case you were wondering about my process, I initially saw images in my head and knew that I did not want to paint or use any technique that I wasn’t familiar with. I wanted to document my prayers as soon as possible. Brainbridge illustration board and alcohol markers were the materials that were conveniently available to me and also fit my budget. The abstract designing of the lines documented the expression of the emotions, words and thoughts in of my prayers. I listened to my heart and I created lines based on what I heard. I didn’t realize that my artwork resembled stained glass until someone mentioned it to me.
More Information on each piece:
“Emmett Till: I’m Still Grieving” documents recognization of the continuous dehumanization and social injustice African Americans face in America. I created this image to process through the hurt of this reality and to also document a very significant moment in the history of America. It is the murder of Emmett Till that sparked the Civil Rights Movement. My hope is that those who engage this piece can exist in the tension of America’s history, can affirm the humanity and the life of Emmett Till, and ignite the important and necessary conversation about the injustice of this world and more specifically this country. I am in fact still grieving his death.
This piece is called “I’ll Never Know the Cost” and is the first piece I created for my body of work called “Meditations Of The Heart”. This piece was cathartic for me because it was created at a time that I was deep in depression. Life did not seem to be going the way that I expected and I was searching for a way to feel close to God. Suddenly images and shapes came to my mind and I expressed on an illustration board. This piece is very dear to me and I hope it feels as good to the viewer as it does me.
“Escrava Anastacia: Her Eyes Were Blue” Escrava Anastacia was an enslaved African woman who lived in Brazil in the 19th century. As a black slave girl with stunning beauty, she was popularized as a martyred saint within the folklore and culture of Rio de Janeiro. Anastacia grew up to be incredibly beautiful, with everyone on the plantation stunned to see a pretty black girl with blue eyes. In an act of jealousy, the white women asked the owner’s son, Joaquin Antonio to make her wear a heavy iron collar and a muzzle on her face, rendering her unable to speak. After many years of suffering and cruelty, the beautiful woman died of tetanus caused by the iron collar.” I wanted to share Escrava’s story and affirm her divinity while acknowledging the cruelty she endured. More on Ecrava Anastacia’a Story: https://www.thevintagenews.com/2017/03/14/the-legend-of-the-martyred-st-escrava-anastacia-the-beautiful-slave-girl-who-was-forced-to-wear-a-face-mask/
“This Is America” documents the lamentation that as a person of color in America I am constantly reminded of the ways that I am considered a second class citizen. While people of color have made many strides towards equality, social justice, reconciliation we are constantly met with the reminder that the toxicity of white supremacy seeps into the fabric of this country. This is an affirmation of the reality that for many black and brown bodies in this country, we can never get TOO comfortable in our “freedom” because we a constantly reminded that we are in fact not free. The title was inspired by Childish Gambino’s “This Is America”.
“Just One Touch” was inspired by the woman with the issue of blood found in Luke 8:43-38. Her story resonated with me personally because at the time I felt very disconnected from God and art has a cathartic effect of me. I, just as the woman in the story, I desired to get just one touch of Jesus’s garment to feel healed, in my case to be healed. I love this story because it showed her faith and her understanding that God is an experience and healing requires practice. She understood healing as not only an idea but as something that is real and in her reach. Her faith and courage inspired me in a time I didn’t feel inspired.
“Rep Yo Set” is an image from my body of work called Meditations Of The Heart. This is an image of the football Colin Kaepernick. Behind him is the Pan-African Flag colors. This image serves as a source of encouragement and affirmation to him and his supporters. I wanted to capture a profound moment in history where one was willing to risk it all to stand up for what he believed him. I hope it encourages us to do the same.
“Rose In The Concrete” is apart of my body of work, “Meditations of the Heart”. The concept of this meditation derives from the experience of being enlightened. From a personal contextual perspective, this piece represents my experience of having certain problematic and unhealthy narratives that were imposed upon me as a woman, as an African American, as a Christian etc. The problematic narratives are the concrete. The fist represents the overcoming of the toxic narratives, the rising above, the enlightenment, the evolution and the revolution. My hope is that those who engage this piece are empowered and inspired to rise above any toxic or problematic narratives that may be keeping them from being and becoming the best version of themselves.
“Savior & Sacrifice” is a piece from my body of work, “Meditations of the Heart”. This meditation focus on the sacrifice of the Virgin Mary. I chose to highlight her story because historically she was a teenage girl, impregnated by the Holy Spirit and out of wedlock. She had to flee her community because was escaping persecution and ridicule. I reflected on Mary’s story and the ways it relate to teen pregnancy today. I wanted to humanize her experience and also emphasize her strength, courage and her faith.
“Strange Fruit” is one of the pieces that I created in my body of work “Meditations of the Heart”. This piece documents a lynching that took place in Mississippi. I was inspired by the song “Strange Fruit” by Billie Holiday. While creating I reflected on the social injustices the dehumanization of African Americans in this country. I wrestled with the tensions of my prejudices, my hearts, my pains, and my reality. As much as this image documents the past, it very much documents an oppression against people of color in America today. It has simply taken on a new form. My hope is that those who interact with this piece are challenged to face the history of this country, to have conversations about the ways this reality takes place in today’s society and get the opportunity to affirm the humanity of those who have suffered from this injustice.
This is an abstract image of Omran Daqneesh, a 5 year old Syrian boy who survived a bombing in Aleppo. He was recovered from the rubble and placed into an ambulance. There was a video of this young boy that virally circulated the internet in August of 2016. I was particularly affected by the idea that humanity’s greed for power has impacted those who seek it the least, children. As I created this piece I prayed for Omran, I prayed for humanity and I lamented to God. This piece is entitled “Why Do Children Suffer?”.
This an image from my body of work “Meditations of the Heart”. This piece, in particular, is titled “Why Do Children Suffer 2? This is an abstract image of a young Syrian boy named Alan Kurdi whose family lived in Kobani, which was the site of war. His family’s attempt to escape war and migrate to Canada. Alan Kurdi was 2 years old. This image serves as both a reminder of the ways in which humanity has failed to affirm the human dignity of one another and also a way for me to grapple with the difficult question of why children suffer?
This piece is called “SPACESHIP” from my body of work “For The Culture”. Growing up I was heavily influenced by the creative, Kanye West and this piece was created to pay homage to the ways his creativity inspired me. As of late I find myself missing the “old Kanye” and reckoning with the reality that he has always been himself, whether I agreed with him or not. He is important to black culture, fortunately and unfortunately.
“STILL” was inspired by Jay-Z historical album “4:44”. This image depicts a character named Jay-bo that was featured in the “The Story Of O.J.”. This piece was created to pay homage to the impact Jay-z’s album on the black community.
There is SO MUCH in store with this body of work! Stay Tuned!
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Meditations Of The Heart by Wasabi SoulQueenWu Sidibay Artist Statement As an artist, I believe I have the responsibility to document history and to tell a story.
