Broken Open
A Black woman in serene contemplation—eyes closed, hand resting near face in meditative gesture—occupies the left foreground, her skin glowing against explosive background of hot pink, sunshine yellow, turquoise, coral, and burnt orange. Behind her, an ornate carved wooden door with elaborate circular patterns stands sentinel—threshold unopened, destination unknown. Most striking: scattered throughout the lower composition are broken eggshells, their fragile curves and fractured edges rendered in terracotta and cream tones. The eggs represent fertility, potential, birth, or the necessary breaking that precedes emergence. Heavy impasto creates actual dimension where paint becomes sculpture. The woman's peaceful expression contrasts with the violence of breaking—she is not distressed by the destruction but perhaps accepts it as necessary transformation. A teal heart-shaped element hovers near her chest, suggesting what survives even when everything else cracks open.
Details
An original mixed media artwork, rich with surreal symbolism and tactile intrigue. Each layer is meticulously built upon a heavy-duty stretched canvas using a myriad of materials, inviting the viewer into a world of texture and depth. Created with professional archival paints and sealed for protection, this piece is designed to endure. The included collage elements are printed with archival inks on fine art papers, ensuring the vibrancy lasts for generations.Size
10x8Materials & Techniques
mediums/materials: phosphorescent paints, found objects, paper, wax, photo collage, oxidative inks, distress paint and inks, acrylic pouring, digitally altered images, acrylic paint, watercolor, spray paint, walnut ink, staining mediums, tissue paper, mica powders, glitter, heavy gel medium, gesso, pebeo prism and fantasy paints, ceramic paint, stained glass paint, alcohol inks, iridescent inks, distress crayons, charcoal, pastels, oil pastels, string, beads, jewelry, gems, chains, buttons, foils, newspaper, vinyl, plastic, walnut inks, india ink, colorshift paints and more!Hidden Images & Elements
The contemplative woman represents Black femininity, inner strength, spiritual practice, and the wisdom that comes through surviving what should have destroyed you. The ornate door symbolizes opportunities, thresholds, choices, or the doorways we stand before when life breaks us open to new possibilities. Broken eggs carry complex symbolism: fertility and miscarriage, potential and failure, the necessary destruction of old forms so new life can emerge, or the violence inherent in all birth processes. The heart shape suggests love, emotional center, or what remains intact within breaking. Her closed eyes indicate inward focus—this transformation happens in invisible dimensions.Interpretation
This profound piece explores the concept of being "broken open" rather than broken down—the way trauma, loss, or crisis can crack us like eggs, releasing something new that could not emerge any other way. The woman's serenity suggests hard-won peace with this process, or perhaps the Buddhist concept of accepting suffering as teacher. The piece also speaks to Black women's experience specifically: the ornate door they stand before despite broken shells at their feet, the beauty and strength maintained through what would shatter others, the heart that persists through every breaking.Poetry
She gathered the shells of every self she'd been and called them threshold, not ruin.
$270.00Price