the center of gravity

 By Suchitra Mattai

30" x 22," gouache and acrylic on paper

“The center of gravity” is a painted memorial for all of the lives lost and all of those who suffered across geographical, political and cultural boundaries and borders due to the Covid-19 virus. It was a year of great loss, immense suffering, and deep isolation. For many, it was also a year of reflection, kindness, and gratitude.

This work speaks to the layers of complexity of experience felt by all of us and offers the love of a mother and child as a metaphor for the strength and endurance of the human spirit. The figures are surrounded by Covid “models” which hold them captive, speaking to the proliferation of the virus and its all-encompassing effect on our lives. The bubbles reflect the spheres of closed isolation we occupied. Yet the virus models are re-envisioned as floral motifs suggesting a new age of verdant life.

There is an absence and presence of bodies as we remember those lost. The faces are present but the bodies are absent as family, friends and community were estranged during this time. The absence of the bodies is intended to shed light on the lives of those whose pain has been invisible and communities who have suffered the most. Yet the bonds of family give us hope of a safer and more hospitable world. As the US emerges from the devastation, we must remember that we are privileged since many countries are now entering their worst phase of the pandemic.