watercolor, colored pencil, marker, ink; 16×20”
“Banning of books is a really problem. Many schools and educational facilities have banned books for reasons such as problematic talk and “darker topics”. The real reason, however, is often diversity and engagement through personal experiences. A lot of banned books are banned because the main character or supporting cast isn’t male, white, straight, or for sharing experiences deemed “unconventional”. My piece represents the youth being taught in an environment where they have access to books that have characters they can relate to, along with the youth having a set environment where they are unable to choose what they read.”
ARTIST BIO: Mallika Uprety is a Grade 11 student at Butler Tech School of Art (SOA).