Passage

Passage - This powerful sketch captures the historical weight of the transatlantic slave trade, blending symbolism with striking imagery. The upper portion features a towering slave ship, its multiple masts and sails emphasizing the vast scale of the forced journeys from Africa to the Americas. Below, the image transitions into an evocative representation of the African continent, with figures near the shoreline possibly signifying the capture and transport of enslaved individuals. The inclusion of an ear and partial face underscores the deeply personal and human aspect of this history—each person torn from their homeland carried a story, a voice, and an identity.

The transatlantic slave trade, which lasted from the 16th to the 19th century, saw millions of Africans forcibly taken from their communities and subjected to grueling conditions aboard these ships. Many did not survive the Middle Passage, the harrowing voyage across the Atlantic marked by disease, starvation, and unimaginable suffering. Those who arrived in the Americas faced generations of enslavement, their labor exploited to build economies while their cultural identities were systematically suppressed.

This sketch is a testament to resilience and remembrance, ensuring that the stories of those who endured these horrors are not forgotten. Through my art, the weight of history remains present—a call for reflection, acknowledgment, and ultimately, justice. The piece invites viewers to engage not only with the visuals but with the historical realities that shaped the modern world.