"Boxed In" (Framed Original Acryla Gouache Soulscape)

About This PaintingWhen I try to define, describe, or in any way come to terms with what it means to inhabit the world as a woman, the first thing that comes into my mind is nearly always the sense of mandated silence; of being muzzled; of having, so to speak, no mouth to speak of. Women’s silence on the subject of ourselves is essential for patriarchy to exist, because the myths that uphold patriarchy cannot survive the true stories of our lives.  But not being allowed to tell our stories—or being disbelieved and scorned when we do so—is incompatible with good mental health. It can lead us to doubt our own reality and to feel like a caged and crazy animal. In this painting, I wanted to convey that “boxed in” experience that continues to be an excruciating reality for so many women around the world—especially, but by no means exclusively, in religious communities where the Divine is presented as male and women are expected to fill only supportive roles. The box in the painting represen