Artist Statement: At many stages of our lives, we can feel trapped either mentally or physically and unable to move forward. It is hard to predict when this could happen or how it could affect us or others. Sometimes we never see it coming which can leave us feeling alone, or that the sun will never rise. It is in those moments that we can discover who we truly are as the world keeps turning.

Every culture uses symbols and imagery to represent things or to bring meaning to complex ideas. The symbols and imagery in my paintings and drawings represent who I am and where I am now mired in this in-between stage of the pandemic.

Though I cannot predict the future and where I will be after this phase of my life, I do feel like I know where I am headed. The symbols and imagery in my paintings and drawings also represent my awareness that as years go by, it could become easier to see how my future life could be, because it can be predicted based upon how my life has been. —Rachelle Dockery