The Flame Tree
Pamela Alderman
Multimedia
48×95 inches
2012
The copper tree represents the African Flame Tree, a resilient tree that showcases brilliant red flowers. The charred frames symbolize the family members slaughtered in the African holocaust. Since the beginning of the genocide, an estimated five million people—fathers, mothers, sons, daughters—have been savagely killed.
To symbolize the horror, a marksman shot holes in the frames. When the bullets pierced the frames, I shuttered. My heart ached as I imagined the lifeless Africans dropping—all those loved ones dead.
Though vicious enemies have sought to annihilate the Congolese people, their sturdy generational roots continue to grow. Glowing candles rise under the blackened frames portraying the courageous spirits of the Congolese people. And these refugees, like the Flame Tree’s blossoms, still radiate stunning beauty.
NOTE: The Flame Tree is part of the Courage Ablaze exhibit at ArtPrize 2012.
