36” x 40”
Spray paint on raw canvas
2024
Inspired by the voice of Her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and her words from the TedWomen’s stage in 2019 about how women will lead us to freedom, justice and peace, this piece makes a bold, unapologetic statement about how representation of women in professional roles is important.
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was the first woman president of an African nation (Liberia) and continues to be a change-maker in her community - the ripple effect of her advocating for women to be included in positions of power has been celebrated world-wide.
This piece is the only one in the VOICES collection that highlights a single quote from an entire monologue, “Once the glass ceiling has been broken, it can never be put back together”, and has been communicated in large, bold, stencils on canvas in which letters from words spill from one line onto the next to encourage this sentence to be read aloud without pause.
The artist includes stencil imperfections and crooked edges as a reminder that moving forward and making changes is a clumsy and imperfect process that calls for transparency and resilience. Some letters appear upside down, crooked, overlapping with others…but despite these imperfections, the message is still received loud and clear.
The following quote from her speech struck the artists as particularly poignant: “I had my fair shares of criticism and toxicity. Nobody is perfect. But there's nothing more predictable than a strong woman who wants to change things, who's brave to speak out, who's bold in action…” Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s voice has reminded us all that with courage, persistence, and the dismissal of the ego, real change is possible.
Watch H.E. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s TEDWomen talk here.
Buy her latest book, This Child Will Be Great here.
The VOICES (That’s What She Said) collection is a celebration of the way women have used their words and voices to empower themselves and others. This collection was exhibited as an audio-visual immersive experience at the McMaster research-based performance LIVELab theater in Hamilton, Ontario during Hamilton Arts Week in which the theater was converted into a gallery space where original works of art were displayed in tandem with streaming audio featuring the recorded voice of the original woman speaker.
The chatter of all the voices over the speakers at once created a sense of chaos and confusion, prompting attendees to ask themselves the questions: Whose voices are you giving your attention to? Whose voices deserve more or less attention? How do you discern who you’re listening to when confronted with an overwhelming amount of noise? In a time when social media and mainstream media has the potential to distract from the important messages that women are eager to share with the public, the VOICES (That’s What She Said) audio-visual immersive exhibition acts as a physical reenactment of the media platforms in which women’s voices are either being elevated or dismissed, depending on the audience.
At the risk of overpowering the valuable and impactful messages behind each woman’s monologue, speech or poetry, the artist has decided to depart from her usual format of accompanying her original pieces with poetry of her own, and instead is focusing on communicating the intention behind each work as it was inspired by the words of another woman.
The artist highly encourages the viewer to listen to the original speaker’s voice as she delivers the words she is speaking to a public audience, and where possible, links to purchase the original speaker’s work are provided. By choosing to listen to the words spoken by women through this collection and through other forms of media, the viewer/listener is contributing to elevating women’s voices. Women have value. Their words hold weight. Their experiences matter. After years of existing with the primary purpose of being “seen”, it is time for women to take up more space in platforms that allow us to be seen AND heard.
More info about this product:
This painting was hand-stretched by the artist in her studio on 1.5" gallery frames. It can be hung as an exposed canvas, or framed in a floating wood frame for a more polished look. This painting comes with an artist statement and signature. If you purchase this painting you will be contacted by the artist for more information about pick-up options in downtown Hamilton, Ontario, or delivery/shipping information.
*Decorative frame not included*
Please note that the buyer is responsible for any shipping charges and/or for picking up the painting, but the artist (or gallery) will facilitate the process by obtaining quotes, packaging the product safely, and bringing it to a shipping centre at no extra cost. Reach out to the artist directly through the Contact page for any inquiries regarding this piece.
*This is an original painting by Tania LaCaria, there is only one in the world. Frame not included.*