The Swamp; Real People Real Lives
A haunting mixed-media composition that explores survival, navigation, and resilience during the era of slavery. Set against a vivid green landscape, the piece centers a winding, organic red path—resembling both a swamp current and a bodily form—symbolizing movement through danger, uncertainty, and transformation.
Surrounding this central passage are layered images of indigenous Americans in moments of labor, displacement, endurance, and quiet resistance. Figures appear suspended, walking, carrying, and witnessing, as if moving through both physical terrain and historical weight. The tree-like structure and scattered scenes evoke a living environment—one that holds memory, struggle, and guidance simultaneously.
The swamp becomes more than a place—it is a metaphor for navigating oppression, where visibility is limited, paths are unclear, and survival depends on intuition, knowledge, and collective memory. The work reflects the psychological and physical journey through bondage, while honoring the strength required to move through it and emerge with identity intact.
Surrounding this central passage are layered images of indigenous Americans in moments of labor, displacement, endurance, and quiet resistance. Figures appear suspended, walking, carrying, and witnessing, as if moving through both physical terrain and historical weight. The tree-like structure and scattered scenes evoke a living environment—one that holds memory, struggle, and guidance simultaneously.
The swamp becomes more than a place—it is a metaphor for navigating oppression, where visibility is limited, paths are unclear, and survival depends on intuition, knowledge, and collective memory. The work reflects the psychological and physical journey through bondage, while honoring the strength required to move through it and emerge with identity intact.