The World we leave them

The majority of my work is about empowering women and women’s issues. I began this painting with the idea of exploring the differences between women of differing cultures, but developed almost in the opposite direction. I began to see that women had far more in common than not, and the painting developed into an exploration of their similarities.

We most certainly are not all the same. Our cultures, histories, religions, traditions, clothing and experiences can be profoundly different. But beneath those differences there is a common ground: a desire for dignity, safety, love, freedom and a future in which we and our children can live without fear. I considered following that line of thought, common ground, but the painting took on a life of its own. 

Common ground became the starting point for this painting. I had already sketched out two separate paintings, but I began again with a larger canvas so that I could have both women together. I wanted the two women to represent their different worlds without creating a division between them. This was the reasoning behind changing to a larger canvas, two separate paintings would have drawn a line down the middle of the women, separating them. 

On the right, the woman’s clothing is inspired by Afghan costume, while the olive tree behind her carries another layer of meaning for me, evoking Palestine and the enduring symbolism of the olive tree. The ongoing situation in Palestine and the restrictive lives of women in Afghanistan weigh on my mind. Both are receiving some coverage in the news, but behind the headlines are real women and children living in fear, uncertainty and whose safety and futures are not assured.

The woman on the left represents the West. Her clothing, with its contemporary pattern and jeans, places her within a familiar Western landscape. Behind her is the suggestion of a modern city, while the natural landscape brings another dimension to the image. On the surface, it would seem that the two women’s experiences are worlds apart, however, beneath the obvious differences, women face familiar fears. The fear of violence, losing control of their own bodies and the fear that if they are harmed, justice will also fail them. In America, women’s reproductive rights and bodily autonomy continue to be debated and domestic violence remains the cause of death of many women in the West. In England, the shocking case of two girls, gang raped in separate attacks, caused a public outcry when the rapists were not given a custodial sentence. This has recently been reviewed and sentences increased.

In the painting, the landscape between them gradually merges, the olive tree stretches between the women.  There is a cluster of small buildings behind the tree. It became a visual way of saying that although our histories and cultures may differ, we share the same earth.

We grow differently, but we are rooted in the same sacred ground.

Looking towards the unknown

One of the most important decisions in the painting was the expressions of the subjects. Both women are looking away from us, in the same direction - towards the same thing in the distance. I see them looking into the unknown with some trepidation.

That uncertainty is important, the future can contain hope and possibility, but it can also contain things we do not want and cannot control. The only control we have is our reaction. 

The children look directly at us. They are not looking to the future, they are firmly ground in the present, confronting us and asking what we intend to do to help them. 

The future of humanity is often discussed in enormous terms, politics, economics, technology, conflict, climate and power. However, the future becomes very personal when we look into the eyes of a child. Every child deserves the opportunity to grow up feeling safe and inherit a world in which their identity, culture and circumstances do not determine whether or not they are protected and allowed to grow, and every woman should be able to look towards the future without having to question her own safety or that of her children.

The girls are holding flowers, and these carry their own symbolism. The peace lily is obvious but the iris, for me, represents female power, strength and resilience. 

I wanted the flowers to introduce something delicate into a painting dealing with such weighty ideas. They are small but they matter. 

I don’t believe that unity requires us to become identical. Our differences are part of who we are, but what matters is that we stand together. We can find common ground while still acknowledging our differences.

As the painting neared completion, I found myself returning to the children looking out from the canvas. They ask “What kind of future are you creating for us”.

I don’t have an answer. Sometimes a painting’s purpose is to make us stop for long enough to consider the question.

This painting is more than a painting about East and West and the turmoil of the current unrest. It is about women, children, culture, vulnerability and strength.

Most importantly, it is about the responsibility that comes with being part of the generation that is shaping what comes next. The future belongs to the children, but what are we leaving them. 

When they look back at us, what will they see?