"Triumph over Adversity"
"The Triumph of Eve" is a feminist reimagining of the Biblical Creation Story — a reclamation of Eve’s narrative and her so-called “temptation” in the Garden of Eden. Traditionally cast as the origin of sin, here Eve is transformed into Earth Mother, a symbol of strength, fertility, and renewal.
Eve’s face, inspired by a painted Congolese mask, connects the Biblical and the ancestral, merging spiritual traditions across continents. The serpent, a Biblical reference, emerges from the base of her spine and coils around her neck — a symbol both of knowledge and vulnerability. In her hand, she holds a pomegranate, an ancient emblem of fertility and feminine power.
The spine, a recurring element in my work, speaks of my own lived experience. As a child in Jamaica in 1963, I underwent the removal of a spinal tumour, resulting in paralysis and a severe curvature of the spine. Long periods of hospitalization and physical therapy shaped both my body and my art. The piece becomes, therefore, not only a reimagining of Eve’s story but also a personal meditation on resilience, transformation, and the struggle against prejudice and stigma associated with disability.
Plaster of Paris, Tempera, Acrylic Paint