Oil on Canvas
This piece explores the complexity of touch.
The hands surrounding her body exist somewhere between protection and possession, comfort and control. They represent the many ways Black women are held throughout their lives, by family, lovers, culture, trauma, expectation, desire, and memory. Each touch leaves an imprint, whether welcomed or not.
She does not look away. Instead, she returns the viewer’s gaze with quiet resolve. Her expression asks us to consider who has been given access to our bodies, our identities, and our autonomy.
The vivid red background becomes more than a color. It embodies passion, danger, love, violence, and survival, all emotions capable of existing simultaneously.
Ultimately, this work asks:
When everyone has left their hands on you, what parts of yourself still belong only to you?
Oil on Canvas
This piece explores the complexity of touch.
The hands surrounding her body exist somewhere between protection and possession, comfort and control. They represent the many ways Black women are held throughout their lives, by family, lovers, culture, trauma, expectation, desire, and memory. Each touch leaves an imprint, whether welcomed or not.
She does not look away. Instead, she returns the viewer’s gaze with quiet resolve. Her expression asks us to consider who has been given access to our bodies, our identities, and our autonomy.
The vivid red background becomes more than a color. It embodies passion, danger, love, violence, and survival, all emotions capable of existing simultaneously.
Ultimately, this work asks:
When everyone has left their hands on you, what parts of yourself still belong only to you?