I think of Mexico when I look at this painting. I have only been to Mexico once so it's not because I have a familiarity with the country. I do have some memories from my trip, and they reside in technicolor within my brain. But it is more than that. It is the compilation of what I've read and seen in books about that take place there. It's the gravitation towards the culture, the beauty, the food, the art that lives in my thoughts.
I understand that Mexican society is far from immune to the deep difficulties of life. Like most large societies, there are societal issues that will be hard to overcome. This painting is not about that. It is about the joyful vibrance that I can see and feel all way over here, thousands of miles away.
- Shona