ARTIST STATEMENT
The focus of my work pertains to the complex emotional and social situations that I have perceived in my own life. Complex trauma, mental health, identity politics, feminism, and the exploration of societal constructs, are all themes that I explore regularly through conceptual imagery. By engaging with these subjects I have been able to reach a therapeutic state of release. Where I lack words; images, colors, and textures have become a poetic language.
This work pertains directly to rape culture in a context that is inherently narrative and directly connected to a specific moment or overwhelming feeling that I have never been able to escape within my own life. My work is a rendition of what I am to relive daily.
More specifically, this work explores the dynamics between power and helplessness that I feel as a female-presenting person. Where I typically feel empowered and in control of my autonomy there is now an everlasting cloud of dread that clouds my perception of self due to the current political climate against women. No matter how strong I feel I am perceived as weak, a target, and something to be taken advantage of.
Reproductive health is a necessity for all, especially for those who experience sexual abuse and assault of all kinds. This is my tribute to the powerful people who experience these things and stay vicious despite their traumas. For those searching for community. For those who are searching to heal. The fight for Roe continues.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Meg Johnson grew up in West Michigan. Their mother was a graphic design artist that graduated from Kendall College Of Art and Design in Grand Rapids Michigan, she now follows her mother’s passion for art by studying PreK-12 education at the School Of The Art Institute of Chicago. They fell in love with education as a result of her two deeply devoted high school art teachers pushing her growth since she was 15 and firmly believes that education is activism. Meg now focuses their work on feminism, personal narrative, mental illness, with a focus on figurative studies and anatomy.
© Meg Johnson