This is a project that holds great significance for me, and I hope it can mean just as much to you.
I created this image for the Nadya Riot x PalmDAO call for feminist digital art. Through the process, I confronted my estrangement from my own mother, acquired new tools and techniques, rekindled my creative spirit, and most importantly, received immense support from community in ways I could never have anticipated. I am eternally grateful for this experience.
In the image, Mother Mary is depicted as a divine figure, ruling from a seat of fire and fury—a volcano, symbolizing both destruction and the creation of new land and life. Her anger stems from the centuries of oppression endured by women. Does believing in one's superiority over others and building a world that reinforces such an imbalance truly make someone a better person? Society often tells women not to be angry, just as men are told not to cry. However, both genders have the right and need to express these emotions. Balance is essential.
While Mother Mary is furious, the girl before her is petrified, suspended in mid-air by the power of her angry gaze. She wonders, "Mother, what have I done wrong? How have I angered you? Is there something I must do to be forgiven, or are we both simply struggling under the same patriarchal systems?"
And finally, my overall thoughts on Feminism:
Feminism transcends gender. It's about challenging the systems where one group is incentivized to oppress and exploit others for the sake of power, and envisioning a different world. This can manifest economically through distribution of wealth, socially through rights, representation, and norms, and environmentally cos mankind exploits nature for profit, further oppressing other groups. But I believe we can achieve better together. Feminism has no gender!
Inputs that generated this image:
https://s.mj.run/XRcIWWA4h_g https://s.mj.run/gpLN8J9JkKc
Tools:
Midjourney
Chat-GPT
Illustrator