ArtistHannah Atallah
Books and Roses: All You Search For Lies Within
Date2020
MediumAcrylic, polymer matte gel, hand scripted letters, aerosol, glitter, and matte varnish on canvas
Dimensions30 x 52 in. (76.2 x 132.1 cm)
Framed Size: 32 x 54 in. (81.3 x 137.2 cm)
Credit LineDC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, Art Bank Collection
Object numberDCCAH2022.013
ClassificationsPaintings
Locations
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Library (901 G St NW)
DescriptionThis painting was inspired by the story “Books and Roses,” by Helen Oyeyemi, which has central themes of loss and separation. It follows two interconnected stories: one of a painter and her female lover; and one of an orphan with an inheritance of a large library. This painting synthesizes the spirit of all three women into one figure, who emerges from a portal that transcends boundaries of time and space. The phrase “all you search for lies within” is written in the painting, like lines of code written into our DNA. While producing this piece, the artist worked through realizations about loss and living, which can be known through books but only understood through life.
