Dreaming of Red Roses, 2020

Description

This painting depicts the Nepalese ritual called Chhaupadi, it is a time when women and young girls are banished from the house during their menstruation. The female figure is below ground, where the women stay during their menstruation, and the position is the reclining Buddha; this was the last position before the Lord Buddha’s death. Lilies of the Valley are above ground to stand for innocence and purity, and the red briar roses are to ward off bad luck. The river and the floating roses symbolize the women who have lost their lives to this tradition.