uproot yourself (2019)

“Uproot Yourself” was created for Confluence Gallery’s 2019 exhibition “DIG IT!”. The roots of a tree are formed in negative space, surrounded by a quote from transgender soul singer Jackie Shane's 2019 interview with CBC Radio.

“Most people are planted in someone else’s soil. I say to them, uproot yourself. Get into your own soil. You may be surprised who you really are.”

The original piece was 11 x 14 inches, completed with a black 005 Sakura Pigma Micron ink pen on vellum paper. The tree shape was hand-drawn in pencil with some assistance from a ruler to get the placement right. Once the surrounding area was filled with text, the pencil lines were gently erased to allow the negative space to pop.

This piece is only available as a print, limited edition of 25.