A Farewell to My Battle Scars Painting

Nafisat sat in a lush field in the countryside of Rerinia. The grass smelled so green and fresh, and a Gentle Breeze gently caressed her skin. She was here to perform the Ceremony of the Balloons. Over the past couple of weeks, she had been actively working on loving herself, putting herself first and healing. And now she finally felt ready to feel Lighter. She filled each balloon with her past hurts, her heart breaks, her saddest and weakest moment, and all the time she felt hopeless and even suicidal. She walked all over the field filling up many balloons and as she filled them, they quickly sank to the ground like a brick. When she was finally done, she chanted the Sacred Hymn of Release and at once the balloons began to rise up from the ground and soon, they were blown away by the Gentle Breeze. Nafisat looked up at the pastel color sky and smiled. - Abi Salami Salami's works are in a modern day surrealist style, giving the viewer the sense of an alternate universe. René Magritte with soul. Abi positions her female African American subjects in a distant realm where one can heal and grow, safe from societal pressures. Her pleasing pastels calms the mind and body while she speaks about heavy subjects such as mental health & rehabilitation not often addressed in her culture. Her works show us the power of healing while simultaneously celebrating Black Joy.