Phoenicopterus Remade & Evicted from Childhood
Shagufta Mulla
Artist’s statement:
My paintings are a celebration of individuality and rebirth.
Phoenicopterus Remade is about putting to death the false self created from childhood dysfunction and recreating the authentic self from the treasures one managed to hold onto.
Evicted from Childhood is about being stripped of autonomy and identity from a young age, and trying to blindly navigate life among the things that sting and the things that poison, and finally finding the treasure of self.
Even though I grew up in the United States, my family’s east Indian beliefs dominated in the home. As per our culture, I was stripped of autonomy at a young age and the characteristics that defined me the most as an individual were dismissed. After a 20 year career in veterinary medicine, I left to heal myself and to pursue my dreams of being an artist and a writer.
Shagufta Mulla, DVM is an artist, emerging poet, and writing workshop facilitator. Her poetry has appeared in ARC Journal, orangepeel, and Blood Moon Poetry, and is forthcoming in an anthology by Sundress Publications. She is the 2021 Blood Orange Review poetry contest winner and an upcoming participant in Tupelo Press’ 30/30 Project for Fall 2021. Shagufta lives in Oregon and can be found on Instagram @s.mulla.dvm.
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