Two nights ago I watched the remarkable documentary, 'Saving Face.' I was deeply moved by the courageous women in this film. As a painter of faces, I have been reviewing in my mind how to honor these women and convey with dignity both their plight as victims of violent disfigurement and extreme acts of courage — facing their tormentors and the government of Pakistan. These women are celebrated as Survivors and that is how I will paint them. The first painting I want to approach is of Zakia. I have been reviewing images of her and have decided to paint her as she is today, after her surgery but without her prosthesis; still carrying the scars of that moment that changed the course of her life.
I have been working in encaustics for a few days and will continue to mull over how to proceed with Zakia's portrait. This is a difficult piece for me to approach as I want to be sensitive with the subject matter and also convey a powerful image. It often takes me months of thinking about a subject before I am ready to paint it.
