Having suffered tragic loss myself, I have great empathy for others who have suffered loss, oppression, or any life altering crisis. I am moved by the human ability to sustain pain and live through it. Somehow we can dig deep within ourselves, find that place where all life connects, and within the silence, continue to breathe.
When Japan’s coastal towns were devastated by a tsunami, we all were affected. How could I pay homage to people who had absorbed the full force of Nature and somehow survived? I saw photos of several of these survivors. I chose to paint this woman because her face shows that she has lived through much of life already, and her smile shows an ability to move on. What can I learn from her? She is life.