Story told in Sabrina’s own words In Eastern Congo, we heard shootings of rifles and some great detonations. Then the quiet was felt, and we saw emerging soldiers armed entering our house and coming into the living room where we were, my husband and I. Our five daughters were in their rooms. There was a…
Before retiring my Courage Ablaze Collection—a collection of twenty-five paintings highlighting the Democratic Republic of Congo’s genocide and massive-scale rape—I would like to introduce you to a dear Congolese friend whom I’ll call Jetta. Jetta and her children fled into Uganda as gunfire broke out near their home. Trying to save the lives of her…
Sometimes an experience grows beyond one’s initial purpose. I had one of those enriching moments when a group of at-risk young teenaged boys came to work in my yard. After our introductions, one asked, “Why is your yard so nice?” “I’m an artist,” I replied. “My yard is like one of my art canvases. Have…
Courage Ablaze tells the story of the innocent women and children caught in the crossfire of annihilation in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Though the fires of adversity scorched their families, these fierce women are salvaging what’s left and starting over. Since first debuting at ArtPrize 2012, I completed twenty-five additional portraits and recorded…
It has been an exciting year—kicking off with an exhibition of The Scarlet Cord during the Pro Bowl and the Super Bowl in Phoenix Arizona. Film makers from Colorado Springs flew into Phoenix to capture The Scarlet Cord exhibit and the responses of survivors and visitors. For ArtPrize Seven, my work called Hometown Hero invited…
Thank you to the Residential College of Arts and Humanities for hosting Courage Ablaze!