Removing the Silence | Freedom to Speak

Prompt: Race/Ethnicity
Dimensions: 28"x80"
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How does race apply to me? This is the question I continually asked myself as I brainstormed for this concept piece. Being from Northern Maine, a state that is 94.4% Caucasian, I hadn’t really thought through the concept of race before. Since coming to Ohio for my undergrad, some of my closet friends are not the same ethnicity as me and helped me process through this project. As a white person, I have always felt like I have no place to talk about ethnicity. As I continued to talk with others who are from different ethnic background, I began to realize my words about race and ethnicity could have a positive weight behind them, especially when to talking to others who are Caucasian. I began to realize that saying nothing is worse than not saying anything at all.

In the painting people of different ethnic background are prying my hands away from my mouth. My instinct is to stay silent, but in order to make a positive difference I must exercise my freedom to speak.