Indigenous Arts & Stories - Hidden Expression

In Aboriginal culture, a woman is said to symbolize the great mother herself, Mother Nature. She is the earth on which we stand, she is the air that flows through our lungs, and she is the creator of all life.

In my life, a woman is not only a symbol for Mother Nature, she is also a true inspiration. Women are protectors, healers, and mothers. They are wise, loving and strong. I love all of the women in my life: my grandmother and all her daughters, as well as my sisters, and my friends.

The young woman in my charcoal drawing is one of my greatest inspirations. She is the sunshine on dark days and a smile when there are tears.

In my drawing, she represents the modern version of Mother Nature. She walks the earth in disguise, hiding her face from the world, for her face is weeping. She weeps because the earth she created is being disrespected by human kind.

She also symbolizes all women. I did not draw her face because you cannot express all women, with the appearance of only one. She simply stands as a symbolic and beautiful representation of true inspiration: women.

I wanted my piece to represent the view of women in my life, and to also express how I feel the environment is being destroyed by mankind.