Perception VS Reality
I wonder if one can tell the reality behind this illustration.
I usually write poems, song lyrics or quotes under my illustrations
However, this time i’ll write an explanation.
Perception:
A black & white illustration of a beautiful child looking back at us the viewer with his/her innocence and pure eyes.
he holds a cup; was it full before?
Was the cup filled with water? Did he drink the water, did he splash his face with said water.. or maybe both?
Butterflies surround him/her, they are equally as astounding looking as the child.
Overall, this image must signify beauty & innocence of a child.
Reality:
Taking in context that Mater Dei represents our Mother Africa
and knowing the harsh reality that some African children face,
we can further dive into this image.
A black & White image, for Black and white often mask imperfections & give them an iconic/artistic dimension.
The black and white is indeed the center piece of this illustration, for as it masks imperfections, it goes as far as masking whether or not the water dripping down this child’s face is clean or not.
As the child holds the cup seemingly empty, we may wonder..
the water, did he drink it? Did he use it to splash his face? Furthermore, was it clean?
The hues of red on his shirt actually represent dirt.. beautified dirt, but dirt nonetheless.
this shirt has been worn several times in the last 4 months, and was probably a hand-me-down from an older sibling.
The child’s lashes are both black AND white. It represents the eye crust often present on those (often misleading) images that the occidental media feeds us, as they demand for us to feed-the-children.
The Butterfly seemingly swarming the child are in reality flies attacking the child’s face, as they will soon elect housing on different areas appealing their fancy.
Lastly, “pure eyes” as inscribed around this child’s left eye.
This indicates that despite all these tragic occurrences, a child’s eye remains pure.
I hope you see beauty in both imageries.