THE WORLD IS WATCHING.

The criteria of this "appropriation project" was to transform an image or object of my choosing to create new associations and meaning.

Faith Ringgold has been one of my biggest inspirations for some of my artwork. Her work in the Black Arts Movement and beyond has sparked numerous conversations, and her work has touched many lives.

This is a tribute to Ringgold, recreating two of her pieces and combining them into one. During the Black Arts Movement, artists like Ringgold and several other creative minds of the younger generation fought discrimination, racism, and prejudice through protest, music, and art.

Faith Ringgold's United States of Attica (1972) is a map of violence that locates riots, murders, wars, lynchings, and more casualties of violence in the United States from the 1971 Attica Prison Riot and before. The American People Series #18 The Flag Is Bleeding (1967) represents America's founding on and history of violence. 

By taking inspiration of these two pieces, I highlighted more recent issues in our country, including the mistreatment of Indigenous land, human rights protests, police brutality, the climate disaster, and economic crises that impact millions. I want this piece to be an eye-opener. Each red dot represents a death by gun violence in 2025 as of April 22nd. This is ridiculous.

The world is watching the United States as it falls further into fascism. Many are afraid, and others are creating fear. We need to wake up and realise that something needs to change, now, and change starts with us.