Victoria Makinde: "The rose that grew from concrete."

“The rose that grew from concrete series” title is ironic. What inspired you to use an ironic title for your project and how does the irony in the title relate to the concept explored in the project?

“The rose that grew from concrete” is a body of work inspired by the experiences of women in society. I believe this discussion is beyond a geographical context which shouldn’t just be subjected to only Afrikan women but women in general. Lotus flower grows in murky/muddy water and blooms without stain at the break of the day. The lotus flower in Asian countries is seen as perfect beauty but somewhat more than that. The lotus flower can also be found in areas like India, and Sri Lanka through Northern Indochina and East Asia. It also grows in isolated locations throughout the Caspian Sea. As well as virtually throughout New Guinea and Island Southeast Asia, as well as Northern and Eastern Australia.

Lotus and lily are both pond-blooming plants that emerge from rhizomes and share a rich color palette. But there are some easy ways to tell them apart. The Lotus flower represents status, strength, purity, resilience, love, and rebirth. The water it grows in interprets as imperfections, attachments, or earthly desires. Likened to us humans, we all struggle to stay/stand strong above our worries and fears. To feel what it takes to be loved, and try to withstand and adjust to face life challenges (resilience). Just as a lotus stands in beauty above muddy waters. Like the lotus flower, we must honor the darkest parts of ourselves and the most painful of our life’s experiences (our background). Because they are what allows us to birth our most beautiful self (where and what we aim to be).

Victoria Makinde: "The rose that grew from concrete." — Title: Roses that grew from concrete.
Medium: Oil color (paper version).
Size: 420x297mm.

Artists work for many different reasons. The content of their artworks is also the product of many sources of inspiration. What inspired this project?

I was inspired by the project using my family to tell the story. Despite the fact that my parents are separated, my mom still tries to keep up with her work. Looking out for us; her children to meet our needs.

Strongly believing that women are the root of all human *existence, how do you think this belief affects your interactions with women in your personal and professional life?***

I see women as the tree of life. This affects me professionally and my interactions with women. Because I have listened to my mom who calls me mostly at midnight out of boredom for me to console her and lighten her worrisome heart. And also seeing my fellow female artists’ friends who try to paint what they feel about women and the things they have been through in their various homes.

In creating a desired effect such as composition and texture, how do you think the color choices affect the overall meaning of this project?

The flowers in my paintings which is the lotus flower indicates beauty. Eminem beauty like in my current series “The rose that grew from concrete”. Lotus flower is a flower that grows in a muddy pond. This depicts the profoundness and elegance of the flower lotus which I mostly relate to the stories of women. Especially Afrikan women who still stand to shine despite all odds and all the unfavorable experiences they’ve been through. The red earrings are simply to complement this beauty. As an Artist, I find the color red very attractive and fascinating which is more of the reason why it is very prominent in my works.