Painted Borders:

Portraits of the Stateless sojourner

My journey into creating this series was sparked by a fascination with the unique identities of nations worldwide. It was kindled by the “Six Continents,” a set of sculptures outside the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, designed to represent the continents for the l’Exposition Universelle in 1878. Yet, as I delved deeper into research, I stumbled upon the complexities of how continents and nations are defined. While I was aware of border disputes I rarely pondered how citizenship was acquired amid these disputes. This led me to an exploration, where I discovered the Stateless and their harrowing plight. In the process of painting these nations in the style of the “Six Continents,” I imbued them with the dignity and strength of women as seen in their inspirational form. Yet behind these powerful depictions lies a haunting irony in painting their backgrounds in a travel poster style because the stateless often cannot lay claim to their birthplace or return to it due to a multitude of unjust reasons.

As I neared the completion of these paintings, I reached out to those assisting the Stateless community within the United States. A conversation with Karina, the Executive Director of United Stateless, shed valuable light on their perspective, prompting me to include three personal portraits of those affected by statelessness, living in the United States, within this series.

In this collaboration of art and advocacy, a profound purpose emerges, to shed light on those trapped in the realm of statelessness. This artistic expression strives to ignite a call for awareness and education, hoping to change legislation necessary to cultivate a future where those without a nation will find solace in a new dawn of their endowed human rights.

you, too, can play a part. You can become a part of this change by lending your support, be it through a donation or by delving deeper into the profound work of the United Stateless organization. Learn more at www.UnitedStateless.org.