The central idea for my concentration is to capture the stages of struggle from recognition to reflection through  the symbolism of hands. Hands exemplify work, willpower and fortitude. To quote Aristotle, hands are “the tool of tools”. They also are important when it comes to expression, given that different gestures have different meanings. My intention was to comment on the search for inner peace for humanity while telling a story of conflict and compromise.

I began my concentration with my four heaviest pieces. #1-2, represent being trapped and oppressed. I chose to work in black and white to put emphasis on the dark times I was trying to portray. #3-4 show recognizing, but not letting go of, the cause of suffering. In these two, I continued to utilize darker tones, but started to integrate color for better progression into my next pieces. #5 and #8 have similar meanings; a promise to oneself to persevere. These works were done in bright colors and robust lines, setting a tone of overcoming conflict. #6-7 is about asserting opinions. Both have a political tone to connect emotions of the individual to the political turmoil in America. #6 involved a huge variety of fonts. My intention was to draw letters rather than writing them, making sure each phrase carried its own feeling. #7 contained sharp lines, solid colors, and graphic shading to communicate confidence. #9-11 show how keeping an open mind will help end suffering. I focused on cool tones for these since blue is considered calming. My final piece #12 shows celebration and unity. The radiating lines show the joy from overcoming inner and external issues, and the strong red background puts emphasis on the power we all have to overcome suffering.