THE ARTIST'S THOUGHTS ON CREATIVITY, INSPIRATION - GOPAAL SEYN
Art has taught me the freedom to express my voice and so has this beautiful country of ours, the United States of America. A country of immigrants, a melting pot of culture and religion, that has always welcomed immigrants and refugees with open arms. That has made this country so powerful, so beautiful, a nucleus of talent from all over the world.
I feel we are being tested by the executive orders which have questioned Bartholdi's creation of the Statue of Liberty...an evergreen symbol of freedom and democracy in this country since 1886. So, Lady Liberty wears a blindfold as it still tries to guide with her torch, welcoming immigrants to find a home in USA.
Today I even found the sketch of Bartholdi, the French artist, which he offered as a proposal for the Suez Canal and was later used for the creation of the Statue of Liberty. It was a sketch of a native Muslim woman, dressed in a burqa.
I hope we find strength amongst our people to stand up and fight, challenge such biased acts that shakes the sheer foundation of democracy. God Bless America.
The land flourished because it was fed from so many sources–because it was nourished by so many cultures and traditions and peoples.
― President Lyndon B. Johnson
America was indebted to immigration for her settlement and prosperity. That part of America which had encouraged them most had advanced most rapidly in population, agriculture and the arts.
―President James Madison
Medium: Mixed Media on Canvas
Size: 30 x 40"