Pasteur Mudende, No Time For Despair (Toni Morrison), 2020, Acrylic on Plywood
To say that right now is the ideal time to make art that speaks directly to the people about social justice is an understatement. Because the very nature of art is to undertake or assume the role of a healer by shading light on the human condition. The sweeping rise in social justice protests amidst a worldwide pandemic has inevitably amplified the need for publicly significant and accessible art.
This mural is influenced by a quote from Toni Morrison that inspires dedication and resilience. “This is precisely the time when artists go to work. There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear. We speak, we write, we do language. That is how civilizations heal.” The goal of this mural was twofold: to intentionally iconize women activists and bring to light the role of Black women in the civil rights movement and to build a relationship between art and the public.
