This 12" x 12" acrylic on stretched canvas, created in 2024, responds to the pressing issue of women's right to choose. In this painting, I depict a woman screaming and crying as she tears through the American flag. The flag’s stripes bleed their colors and unravel at the points where she breaks through, symbolizing the breakdown of the very freedoms it once promised. In the blue section of the flag, some stars are replaced with dollar signs, highlighting the intersection of economic interests and personal autonomy. This work captures the emotional weight and turmoil of the current battle for choice, confronting the viewer with the urgent reality of rights being stripped away and the nation itself unraveling.
- Helene Ruiz