Acrylic on canvas 48″x72″
2018

Resilience- To hold onto strength when it feels as though all hope has been lost. It is to power through the unbearable moments that life challenges us with. This painting shows two different sides of a face. It was painted during my inpatient stay at a hospital that made me feel imprisoned. One of the staff members made me feel genuinely safe in her presence, which was rare in the environment that I was in. She worked the occasional night shift, but her presence made such a noticeable impact on not only myself but other patients who were struggling to adjust to the uninviting environment. One day, she carried a gigantic canvas from the back of her car all the way to the floor that I was on. She requested a painting that would capture a pair of strong feminine blue eyes that hold within them a self explanatory and profound pain. I spent hours fully immersed in the act of creating this piece. The eyes were painted the same blue that I used to form the teardrop that falls from the left side of the face. I painted the eyes of someone who is being held captive by something or someone, but is nonetheless protected by her own energy and strength. In the bottom right corner is the arabic translation of the word resilience.