Recently, I completed a painting titled, "Arriagado", which when translated from Spanish to English means rooted. In a sense, over the past few weeks, I have realized how rooted I am as an artist. I steeped in a systemic culture of race, religion, gender, political strife and personal conflicts that cause great upheavals in my emotional and mental stability.
Yesterday was International Women's Day and women from across the world joined in solidarity to celebrate the theme, Be Bold for Change. With the recent global upheavals coming to the fore as a result of the new US President, Donald Trump, the theme was very fitting as women were calling for a more inclusive, gender equal working world. According to the IWD (2017), "Each one of us - with women, men and non-binary people joining forces - can be a leader within our own spheres of influence by taking bold pragmatic action to accelerate gender parity. Through purposeful collaboration, we can help women advance and unleash the limitless potential offered to economies the world over." The year 2186 is the year estimated when gender gaps will be closed. By taking decisive action to afford women their dreams, we break down the glass ceiling even further, shattering notions that a women shouldn't be equal to a man. By affording, women and girls opportunities to take control of their health, we advance women further. Policies that place limitations on this progress shouldn't even be considered. Enhancing a global culture of bias, inequality and putting personal favours over the greater good results in crisis. But on the flip side, I am looking forward to International Men's Day. Last year, men stood in solidarity to spread awareness of male suicide. According to the IMD (2016): "In every country bar China where it is approximately equal the suidide rate is worse for men than women and averaged out on a country by country basis the rate of suicide for men is up to three times that of women. In Russia it is 6 men for every 1 women. Men’s health is worse than women’s in every part of the world. Recent World Health Organization (WHO) data shows that, globally, male life expectancy at birth in 2015 was 69 years; for females, it was 74 years. Children suffer when they lose a father or a grandfather prematurely. So let’s work together to turn the tide of male ill-health & suicide". Suicide is not a joke. This year, I will be standing in solidarity with IMD as well and you should too on November 19th. Equally important is the health and well being of men in society. And Mankind: Your Kind of Man will continue to progress until then. New works have been added to different sections of this website. Particularly the new, Drawings section and Paintings. Next week, I will be blogging about some of the ideas, concepts and the process behind selected pieces from each expressive form.
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AUTHORMikhail Williams is a Jamaican mixed media artist and writer based in Kingston, Jamaica. His writing explores the issues of gender and race in the Caribbean. ARCHIVES
May 2017
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