The background of this piece is a green cotton sari. The green signifies the ground/earth and the blue represents the sky above. The windows of opportunity and challenges that life has brought me are depicted in the surrounding symbols and elements.
Opportunities and challenges are different sides of the same coin. There is always a bright side to challenges, if the challenge can be turned into an opportunity, people can be brought together to make it happen and final success can achieved. My life and journey has always presented challenges, which with others’ help I was able to fashion into opportunities with great goals and wonderful fulfillment. The toughest challenges can lead to the greatest successes.
In this piece I also wanted to reflect my belief that God has always given me a rope or a branch to climb any time I have had a moment of cluelessness or despair, so you see these depicted throughout the piece.
It is not until we go through the tough times do we enjoy the fruits of our labor. I portrayed the successes that were achieved by natural elements such as the cowry shell, which was formerly used as a currency on the East Coast of Africa. The trees, benches and their color all signify challenges of the west. I have greatly enjoyed the challenges and little fun elements within this piece.
