Guardian

This monotype collage on wood was inspired by the Indigenous land protectors who are blocking fossil fuel projects around the world, protecting our shared sacred biodiversity. Through my work in climate justice organizing, I greatly support frontline Indigenous-led movements who are protecting land and water, serving as guardians for all life on earth. As demands for immediate global climate solutions grow and the harsh reality of the climate crisis becomes more visible, there has been increased violence, repression and even murdering of Indigenous earth guardians. This piece honors the First Nations people at the front lines.

This work is part of a series of wood panels in which I was experimenting with various textures to create figures. Each figure is composed of patterns and icons that are printed with linoleum block on large sheets of colored Korean paper. I really love the hair on this figure because it reminds me of many seeds growing and it also reminds me of the Greek goddess Medusa, who was known to be a guardian for humans. The figure reflects various elements of my culture, including the maiz (corn) texture.