Canvas Size: 36"x48"
Frame: Handcrafted from Poplar wood. Size is 38"x50"
Media: Mixed media/Oil, acrylic, texture modeling paste.
About this piece:
This is the second attempt at a tribute to the Mursi women of a Surmic ethnic group in Ethiopia. They reside close to the border near South Sudan in the Debub Omo zone. They have their own native tongue.
There are different reasons the Mursi women scar themselves. It is said that the main reason is to attract the opposite sex. The men of this tribe do not like to kiss, but rather prefer the touch of the scarified female, which excites them.
There are so many different views of what beauty is. I chose to showcase such a controversial image because symbolically, she is me and I am her. When I look at her, it makes me think of how so many of us have worn our scars beautifully.
Scars run deep. Some seen and some unseen. Never-the-less, they are there. The scars of rape, physical abuse, abandonment, and assault are worn on so many of us. They are so often displayed publicly when we often want them hidden. There are so many ways to interpret this piece. It is all up to your interpretation.
It is unclear if the Mursi women who chose to do the scarification process actually like doing this to themselves, but what is clear is the pain they endure during the process for the attention of another.
Let that sink in!