Strength of the Spirit Painting

"Strength of the Spirit" is part of my series, "My Tribe" which addresses society’s misconceptions on growing old and raises awareness of our aging population and encourages a dialogue between the two. When bodies are falling apart our spirit will adorn the armor of a thousand soldiers. My series is a collection of human figures in various degrees of disintegration and fragility as one would see in the aging body. The figures are unfinished with missing parts to symbolize deterioration and the decline and weakness of the body. I added elements to display the wonders and beauty of maturing. By incorporating bright, vibrant colors in my figures, I am challenging the stigma that is prevalent in our world when interacting with the aging population. Furthermore, to me growing old brings visions of the ancient and mystical. I have included a certain degree of this spiritual mystery to my images by putting various symbols onto the canvases and frames.