Let me be more
University of Regina President’s Art Collection.
Photographed by Trevor, University of Regina.
“Let me be more” is a painting from my series “The stories of immigrant women” which is in the collection of “Presidents Arts Collection”, at the University of Regina.
It’s a story of depression and mental trauma which got ended up in an ugly divorce and became the victim of forbidden child custody. An immigrant woman who got married and landed in Saskatchewan. Her married life was extremely abusive. She was mentally and physically tortured by her husband. She ended up hospitalized with mental illness. Taking advantage of the circumstances the husband filed for divorce and took the custody of the child. Imagine, a person who is new to a country, have no family or friends, think of their mental condition in this circumstance.
When I went to her apartment to do her story, I was shocked to walk into her family room. It was EMPTY with one stuffed monkey hanging on the wall, which you can see the reflection of, in the mirror and a laptop. Bare walls and bare floor, I could see, smell, feel, touch her mental condition without any exchange of words. I myself felt so low seeing her physical reality. I recorded her story, photographed her in the room but took her out from the scene because I felt that empty room was saying it all without her presence. An independent woman, who was well educated, working and earning high salary in her country, ended up in such condition, losing all her capabilities, confidence and mental stability. The title of the painting “Let me be more” has been given by her, tells the whole story without providing the actual written or spoken story.