Grade: 12th
Materials: Acrylic paint on canvas
Dimensions: 12” × 9”
Artist Statement: This painting physically embodies my determination to resist and defy the ignorant claims and assumptions made about my cultural identity. The orangish-yellow background and the splatters of white “fire-sparks” symbolize the resistance and defiance I hold when the grassy foundation beneath me and the sun above me are consumed by the darkness of ignorance and try to knock me down. When I feel such feelings, I am reminded of my painting’s symbolism “I am the tree whose roots others want to sever, but against all odds, I will strive – even if it means turning the fire they wish to burn me with into my own light as a means to wipe out the darkness.”
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