VOTE '24 - print by Malaika Ross

From MalaikaIt wasn’t until I was diagnosed with breast cancer, that I now deeply understand just how intense and far reaching the opinions of women’s bodies extend; other’s opinions and beliefs were there with me in the exam room. And even though I got some of the best care in the world, I still encountered sexism and strong opinions about what a woman’s chest should look like. It pisses me off just how much a woman’s right to make decisions about her own body is judged, challenged and punished on an hourly basis (e.g., what we eat, how we look, how much we weigh, what size our breasts are, whether we have breasts, whether we should have a child or not and the list goes on and on and on). So to channel my anger into action I made a botanical vote painting. I’m pretty invested emotionally and mentally in this election for a variety of reasons, but most important to me is to maintain my ancestors' hard-fought right to vote. I want to continue to live in a country governed by a democrac