COVID-19: As the World Mourns, These Hands Heal Description:
This painting was inspired by the current Covid-19 pandemic that has affected countries worldwide. The woman sitting on top of the Earth represents our collective grief over a disease that in some cases, has robbed many people of life, freedom, interconnectedness, physical touch and financial stability. This woman of the world is clothed in some of the countries’ flags that have had the highest death rates in the world.
The Earth wears a medical mask not only because it underscores how the mask has become one of the world’s most coveted commodities but it also reflects the collective effort to protect the people who inhabit the Earth from contracting the virus.
The Earth is also masked because it has long suffered from humanity’s pollutants and abuse and is in the most need of protection if we are going to live in a sustainable environment going forward.
The background is composed of an array of coronavirus particles. Although in reality, they are invisible to the human eye, that invisible threat becomes real here. I chose monochromatic blues so that the coronavirus is in harmony with the blues of the universe, an idea that seems to contradict itself. I wanted the virus to be somewhat aesthetically pleasing despite the unspeakable misery it has caused for so many because your enemy can teach you the greatest lessons, and there is a beauty in that. It is my hope that when the pandemic is over, people will realize the importance of living in harmony with the Earth and each other. This is an opportunity to examine what the essence of being human means.
The hands represent our frontline nurses and doctors who are facing this virus head-on. They provide comfort and reassurance but also strength and courage in uncertain times. The frontline worker’s hand in the bottom of the painting lifts the Earth out of the chaotic waters of the pandemic and is a reminder that while the storm we face is strong, their efforts lighten the burden and remind us that hope will ultimately prevail.