Student’s work inspired by art of Sinàmkin, Jody Broomfield titled
STRENGTH & REMEMBRANCE
My name is Mahsa Shahbazinia. I am an immigrant to Canada. I was born and raised in Tehran and I come from a Turkish family.
The Strength and Remembrance Pole Raising was created by Jody Broomfield and was installed in Central Lonsdale on October 25th, 2019. This statue commemorates the missing and murdered Indigenous women, women who experienced violence and the fourteen women killed in the Montreal massacre. This statue is located in a proper place, right next to the police station. It seems to me this sculpture is a sign that the police must or will always be by the side of the people.
I chose this artwork because it was made and installed to show the oppression of minority women. I strongly believe that equal rights are the right of all human beings.
This sculpture is a reminder of the painful and cruel tragedy that befell and continues to be perpetrated against some Indigenous people in Canada, as a legacy of colonization. Throughout history, until today, there has been violence in some ways against some people.
One day, Indigenous people are oppressed, and the next day, maybe another group. This means that individuals consider their group, society, beliefs, skin color, appearance, country, or religion superior to others, and that becomes grounds for discrimination
Art is related to the human sense, and when a person learns something through her senses, she/he may not forget it for the rest of her/his life. Gradually, with such a meaningful art piece, the minds of people become aware of oppression and injustice and this helps humanity to strive for a peaceful life.
Museums and works of art can play a key role in ethically representing Indigenous people and their culture. Also in various aspects, museums might act as decolonization sites (Anderson, 2019). With meaningful arts, the minds of people become aware of oppressions and injustices, human sufferings, which might lead to striving for a free, peaceful, and equitable life.
I found it interesting and gratifying to see that people put flowers beside this sculpture. It shows that there are many kind, educated and peace-loving people who advocate for the missing and murdered Indigenous women.
With my painting, I want to convey to the audience that humans are vastly different from one another, and their differences can support the overall progress of human society. However, the pillar of this progress is based on equitable behavior of people towards each other and having acceptance and respect toward diversity.
I have used spider’s web lines in my painting, to symbolize people being self-centered, which is one of the causes of selfishness and violence against others. The painting is composed of two half-human beings in two different sizes, which shows the differences between people but at the same time demonstrates how individuals complement each other.
There are also geometric shapes that illustrate the complexities of humans and life. There is a big trapezoid between two human beings demonstrating the border and boundary that exist between them. This means that by respecting and accepting each other despite all the differences, we can live together peacefully and contribute to the development of all those around us.
As educators, we should be familiar with the culture and subcultures of the school community.
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Wish.…I wish we were a little kinder
I wish we were more responsible towards each other
We must all strive for a better, calmer, more secure life
– Mahsa
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