'Hand'le with Care

Artist Statement

I chose to use hands to express the theme of “Embracing Diversity.” Hands are diverse and inclusive of sexuality, gender, skin color, age and lived experiences. They can be expressive in their feelings, actions, and emotions. At the same time they can also say everything without saying anything. They can say hate and they can say love. I wanted this piece to be bright and exciting, to bring joy and togetherness. I wanted the viewer to feel joy when seeing this visual representation of inclusion and unity. I wanted to make sure things that are usually not represented, such as vitiligo, freckles, henna art, prosthetics, or diverse skin tones, were seen and celebrated!