In Audre Lorde's memoirs "The Cancer Journals" she seemed to take an approach of getting out of the silence and re-growing. She defined herself through reference to the body and the changes she experienced that made her feel more complete. Lorde, Yo-Yo Lin and Jen Leach tell their stories as if they were social warriors, the way they present their struggles with illnesses brings up an important discourse on the agenda and the significant thing I was left with is the matter of the forced silence that exists in our society today. In the memoir, Lorde turns the prevailing silence into a new language and speaks openly about the painful vulnerabilities even if they are less pleasant to hear.
In her words, she asks women to talk about their experiences and struggles and it is true that she puts feminism at the center but it is needed when there is a hidden assumption about the perception of the breasts as an object that should only be beautiful and sexual, "There is a central commitment of feminism to sharing difficulties". All those strong women's who found their way to fight the diseases and difficulties they faced with and brought different conversation to center as it also fights for the place of women in our society. I was reminded of an artist I really like, Georgia O'Keeffe whose paintings dealt with new femininity, unrelated to motherhood, fertility and virginity to more bold and liberated femininity and she also breakthrough for women, who did not dare to express themselves. like Lord, Lin and Leach she makes a statement that women's can stand on their own feet.
After hearing the guest speakers and reading the book I was left with the words Empower and Illuminate and tried to express it in the way O’Keeffe does. I tried to think of movement when I drew, a person who shares his personal story is like a flower that opens and then is much more complete and beautiful.
Water colors and embroidery
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