After a series of unfortunate events, starting with a cancer diagnosis on my 40th birthday, I spent time reflecting on the most painful and agonizing feelings I experienced during these difficult times. I came to realize that my suffering during these challenges is rooted in the traumatic events I lived as a child. This lead me to think about the harms that young people from historically oppressed communities often endure in the most formative moments of our lives.
This series of prints emerges as a counter weight to the cruelty that kids endure on the daily and instead offers affirmation and celebration.
The young person in this piece beams with joy as they smile brightly with a toothy grin. They shine bright like a star.
