STILL HERE...

 

In the wee hours of January 6, 2021, about 4 AM to be exact. I felt compelled to create a flag and call it “still here”. Though I resisted the idea at first …by 8am I was in full swing of scaling up the flag on canvas, laying down paper, etc….with TV on in the background listening to the news. By whatever time of the day I learned about the insurrection I understood….

This work is acrylic on canvas and handmade paper with textiles all mangled together beaten, cut, stitched, broken — just to make that point [we are] “Still Here"

However, just because democracy held up this time, doesn't mean it will next time. I have decided that my/our liberties and all the rights we enjoy in the US have to become 'responsible freedoms' if we are to survive and thrive again. And we are all accountable. We must do whatever we can to protect this democracy... As imperfect and dysfunctional as it is at times, it is still far better than alternative governments.

The images shown above are, 1) “Still Here” Mixed media acrylic/collage / handmade paper on canvas. 42" x 30" 2) Bill May photographing the flag in his studio, Millville, New Jersey.

You can see this art and the rest of my work and those of 30 other African-American artists via the link below until October 2021: INTO THE LIGHT

https://artintheatrium.org/search?q=Rosalind+Nzinga+

#rosalindnzinganichol #mixedmedia #handmadepaper #papermaker #mixedmediapainting #africanamericanart #africanamericanartists #diaspora

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