graphite pencil, colored pencil; 18×17.5”
“Women around the world are constantly struggling for a voice of their own. The novel, “A Thousand Splendid Suns” by Khaled Hosseini, takes place during the Taliban’s control over Afghanistan. It follows the lives of two Afghan women, Miriam and Leila, who grew up with vastly different lives but ended up in the same place. Throughout the book Miriam refers to two “twin poisonous flowers”, love and hope. These “twin flowers” can also be seen in the protagonists themselves, Leila representing hope for a better future, and Miriam representing love through her willingness to sacrifice everything for the people she cared about. In my piece I depict the two protagonists of the novel, with red scarves to represent the oppression they experienced during the reign of the Taliban. Leila, pictured on the left, is removing her scarf and opening herself up to “the winds of change” and a new life, while Miriam, pictured on the right, is unable to remove her scarf and remains closed off to the future in exchange for the safety of the ones she loved. In her hand are the poisonous flowers which represent hope and love.”
ARTIST BIO: Elise Kenney is a Grade 11 student at Seton High School.