This is the second of two paintings that honor the Atlanta shooting victims. The horrific events of March 16, 2021 amplified the racism many Asian Americans are facing in our current climate in the US.
I painted this image in response to two messages I received about my Final Journey painting.
- Why weren’t all of the victims included in your painting?
- The cherry blossoms in my Final Journey painting are controversial for some Koreans due to the history about them. The cherry blossoms were planted during the Japanese occupation of Korea during WWII, and for some these trees bring back painful memories.
This painting, is in response to those messages. While each of these victims are American, each flower represents the country of their family heritage, as much as I know of them
- Four rose of Sharons represent the Korean women, Soon Chun Park, Hyun Jung Grant, Sun Cha Kim, and Yong Ae Yue.
- A peony and a plum blossom branch to represent the Chinese women, Xiaojie Tan and Daoyou Feng. One plum blossom sprig because it’s the official national flower of China, and one peony because it’s the flower that many Chinese people are advocating to have as the national flower because of its history and symbolism with the Chinese.
- Two red roses for the white Americans killed in the shootings, as I could not find any information on their family background, Paul Andre Michels and Delaina Yaun Gonzalez. At first, I wasn’t sure if I would use a rose for Delaina Yaun Gonzalez because I wasn’t sure what her heritage was. I knew that her husband was Guatemalan. But every news article I found stated she was white. I still don’t know and can’t find much about her. I also didn’t know the family background Paul Andre Michels. And now is not the time for me to bother grieving families. For now, the painting includes them as a red rose.
Each print is a limited edition, though the number of prints is not yet known. 100% of the proceeds, minus the cost of printing, will go directly to the victims’ families.
Print is 11×14″ on 300 lb cold press paper and will be signed and numbered.
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