Pia Cabanela
This work was done after complete isolation of four months, no contact from the outside world because I live alone in my apartment. Protests filled the streets of Los Angeles, fighting for George Floyd and many more like him. But the despondent state from which I was enveloped in was the rise in racial discrimination. The airwaves send voices of hate from all over the country and it became too strong for me to even imagine a future in a place I called my second home for a decade.
As we physically distance ourselves, let us open our hearts to more noble endeavors. So many were lost without the warm touch of a loved one. Sent back to earth, grasping their last breath amongst a sea of masks and lab gowns. Let us urge reaching out to those who are still living and be mesmerized by what might sprout out of that connection sans skin.
This piece was painted on a broken 50s plexiglass window salvaged from my building’s backyard after the lockdown and decided to use them because of budget constraints. I couldn’t afford buying a canvas and was worrying about rent. Art supplies are not a priority right now but my sanity and mental health are, so I continue to paint no matter what surface I find.
