EMBRACED
upholstered chair, pink feathers, paint, glue
Support, can and should be defined from the person receiving it. In EMBRACED, I explore concepts of friendship, community, mental health, and the complexity of the color pink being interwoven with femininity and gender. This previously grey upholstered chair was altered with bright pink feathers to bring about new meanings, a metaphor to how one can transform given support networks that might not be working and seek out new solutions that do. Chairs, in and of themselves, are physically supportive in that they hold the weight of something. This piece is an homage to those who support others and accept them for who they truly are in their authentic selves. The impacts of this are lifesaving, the love behind it powerful beyond measure. Everyone deserves a pink chair.
arms in photo: Zachary Fissell
What does it feel like to be held in full?
Wrapped in the comfort of those who can love.
Like a warm day’s inextricable pull,
Basking in the sun’s rays from up above.
How to explain what it means to be known,
Outloud in all its complex imperfections?
Finding each other when we feel we’re alone,
Painting ourselves in each others’ reflections.
To melt into at the end of the day,
What can hold our full weight it will not break.
Shiny eye’s recognition here to stay,
Unconditional love cannot be faked.
Take a pink chair, come, sit down and relax.
Held in your You, the best part of life’s acts.