40" x 48" x 40"

“Mama Holds Up the World” celebrates the vitality of women to provide in times of trouble. It is part of my Sanctuary installation that honors refugees. Using humble and repurposed materials – charcoal, twine, clay, used coffee bean bags – it evokes a sustainable future where nothing and no one is without value.

Climate refugees account for more than half of all migrants, and by 2050, around 200 million people will be displaced because of environmental changes, in addition to violence. I want viewers to experience my work with a sense of individual lives. The detailed figures invite viewers to lean in close. The monochromatic palette for the charcoal drawings also focuses attention on personal expressions to move the conversation away from statistics to empathy for each unique journey.

In addition to this one work, Sanctuary developed over three years. It began with life-size panels draped ceiling to floor behind a chain link fence of people walking to what they believed would be safety. Then I crafted symbolic rafts that escape across a gallery floor. Finally, wanting to inspire hope, Sanctuary arrives at free-standing shelters that culminate the journey. “Mama Holds Up the World” is part of that final phase.