“…when she breathes…” 2/4 VE

This is a Variable Edition woodcut, part of a limited edition of 4 prints called "...when she breathes...".  A Variable Edition is similar to a monoprint or monotype.  Each print in the series uses a common printed element with variations.  The variations result in every print being different, in effect becoming an original art work.

The base image in this piece is the face of a woman I met on a street in Beijing.  Her face was beautiful, full of the lines and wrinkles of a life long-lived.  When I asked if I could take her photo she was amazed and said "but I am ugly" pointing to her face. (She spoke in Mandarin; her friend translated for me.)  We talked and she agreed to a photo which I translated into the woodcut.  She is breathing out feathers - symbols of freedom and transcendence, moving beyond physical and mental barriers.  But there is also a veil across her mouth silencing her voice as the voices of women have been silenced in so many cultures for so many centuries.  So the title "...when she breathes...", is a reference to the hope of being seen, heard and respected for her knowledge, wisdom and abilities as woman equal in value to man.