Existing comment:
JANATHEL SHAW
Unmasked
Graphite on paper, acrylic, black sand, and mixed media
35 x 27 in.
Courtesy of the artist
ARTIST STATEMENT
I named this self-portrait Unmasked: Hidden Warrior. It shows me removing my proverbial mask. I am not referring to the ones we wear due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the mask in Paul Laurence Dunbar's poem "We Wear the Mask." All Black Americans know it intimately. It helps to keep us safe and grounded in a society and world that is capricious and often cruel.
In this image, I examine my emotional state and the price that was paid to prepare me to be resilient. It is evident in the age lines, my stance, and the direct gaze that confronts the viewer. The metal bracelet I wear shows my pride in my ancestors, a nod to the Sankofa Bird. This spiritual bird reminds us to never forget the past so that we can move forward. In the center of the bracelet is a lone figure that symbolizes those Africans that died during the Middle Passage.
My black dress of colored sand and sparkles stands for modernity and progress. It is pretty and alluring. Yet, the surface is gritty and underscores strength borne of pain. |