Existing comment:
CHAWKY FRENN
Hypnagogia
Oil on canvas
48 x 36 in.
Courtesy of the artist
ARTIST STATEMENT
As a Lebanese immigrant fleeing a war-torn country in 1981, I saw the United States as a land of opportunity, a beacon for democracy, and the pinnacle of human rights. Through years of living and observing our American ideals and politics, however, I have learned that even in the "Land of the Free," basic human rights were always fought for, never given by the ruling powers.
Hypnagogia, a transitional state of consciousness between wakefulness and sleep, with vivid sensations of floating, falling, and impending threat, alarmingly reflects the political, economic, religious, and moral predicaments that shamelessly emerged in 2020. The painting questions the identity as well as the core principles and values the United States upholds. With a history rooted in structural racism, momentous struggles and critical resistance endeavor to ensure the rights of Native Americans, African Americans, people of color, women, LGBTQ, veterans, immigrants, prisoners, and refugees. |