Surface

2024
acrylic on canvas
60 x 91cm
Surface is a piece created by Grace Naveikata that focuses on the strength that comes from adversity. When initially viewing the piece, it looks like a simple portrait with intersecting yellow and red lines across the canvas. However, upon closer inspection, the “skin” on the face of the portrait is raised, spiked even. This is symbolic of the protective and “thicker skin” that comes from being a person of colour in Australia. The red and yellow lines are symbolic of outside influences such as racism and discrimination, being the painful reasons as to why most people of colour often have to create a metaphorical shield in the form of internal strength and resilience when experiencing adversity. This piece aims to portray that subject matter externally.