black cardstock, white and red Color Pencils, gouache; 15×13”
“Freedom! is a piece dedicated to the unattainable freedom of an American teen. The piece depicts a hand reaching into a bear trap containing the word “freedom!” The teen’s hand is already covered in scars and cuts, demonstrating that this is not the first time that the teen has done this. The symbolism of the bear trap relates to the freedom and rebellion that is presented to a teen, yet when the hand reaches in, the trap snaps and deters them from doing it again. The bear trap discourages the person from reaching their hand in again because bear traps are designed to severely injure the individual, but because of the American teen’s desire to touch what is not theirs and attain something so close yet so far away, they want to reach their hand in again, just to see what happens. The piece was designed on a piece of black paper and drawn with red and white pencils, an uncommon way to approach art because the black sticks out against white papers.”
ARTIST BIO: Kiera FIORITO is a grade 12 student at Seton HS studying art under art teacher Margie Metz.