ARTIST: AQHAMA MDLELENI
COUNTRY: SOUTH AFRICA
MATERIALS USED: PENCIL, PENCIL CRAYON on PAPER
For a minute I personally felt as if I’d get some rest from everything in this work, I’d get an opportunity to get myself together and everything. Particularly I thought it would be the same with everyone else, unfortunately I was wrong. In some parts of society, it very hard out there.
As governments introduce tighter restrictions and lockdowns in response to corona virus, many people are not able to work. For families living in poverty, this could mean weeks without their sole income source and no food for their children. This is mostly difficult for single parents out there. Those living in poverty struggle to meet their daily needs, such as food and healthcare.
In my artwork I express and show how other people are actually not coping during this pandemic. Many parents put themselves at risk going outside while being told to stay at home for safety and actually hustle for money in order to buy what’s needed the most. In this picture you can see that mother is not wearing a mask or any gloves to prevent her from getting the virus, but then with the food parcel she was given finished she’s got no choice but go out there and hustle. The boy and the mother both got on dirty clothes too.
The woman has got tears on her face; this shows how sad and scared she is. She’s sad that she can’t provide that much for child, that they can’t sleep happily with a full stomach and sad to see her child eats from the last little bits of food that was left over cause of hunger. She also fears losing her life and living her son at young age alone, and cause of that she questions going out but she remembers that she does it all for the sake of her son.
9SUBMITTED BY HER ART TEACHER THELMA MORT (See email) AS SCHOOL IS CLOSED AND AQHAMA DOES NOT HAVE REGULAR ACCESS TO THE INTERNET OR A COMPUTER.
