Raising Hope
Parenting may be a struggle in itself. But raising a stigma such that it fits into the normal world can be a whole new definition of the word “challenge”.
The first decade of life is of particular significance, as this is the time when the brain undergoes the fastest development. These are also the prime years for the personality development. A child struggling with any disability during these years can have a drastic impact on his personality. It is indeed an arduous task to prepare a disabled child to be fully accepted by the society; for the world, it is impossible for them to overlook the conspicuous flaws that overshadows their true potential. They say:
“Society will not adjust to them (the disabled child)- THEY must be adjust to the society.”
Parents play a primary and an integral role in the child development and undeniably face the greatest pressure in the face of such adversity.
In this process, they can lose their composure, face a plethora of challenges and experience a constellation of emotions.
It’s also the responsibility of the society (including the peers and the teachers of such children) to reinforce the role of the parents. Such set of parents need a robust support system from the rest, to deal with the impediments of this excruciatingly difficult time of their life. They need to know that:
“They are not alone in it”
Concept:
Hope
Hope is defined as the feeling that what is wanted can be achieved or that events will turn out for the best. It is an optimistic attitude of mind based on an expectation of positive outcomes related to events and circumstances in one's life or the world at large. As a verb, its definitions include: "expect with confidence" and "to cherish a desire with anticipation". Among its opposites are dejection, hopelessness and despair.
Concept Model:
Pearl
A pearl is defined as a smooth round gem formed in the shell of an oyster or mollusk, or a fine example of something. Freshwater pearls form in various species of freshwater mussels, which live in lakes, rivers, ponds and other bodies of fresh water. These freshwater pearl mussels occur not only in hotter climates, but also in colder more temperate areas such as Scotland(where they are protected under law). Most freshwater cultured pearls sold today come from China. Saltwater pearls grow within pearl oysters, which live in oceans. Saltwater pearl oysters are usually cultivated in protected lagoons or volcanic atolls.
Concept with Topic:
Since pearl is known for good wisdom/charm, therefore it has long been associated with the hope. Its oyster or shell, has its exterior to keep bad vice out, and requires only good effort to open it. Pearl’s color are light opaque rather than dark, which gives it a pleasant outlook. The shell is sturdy and resistant to stress from the outside, in order to protect a valuable pearl inside it. It fights the adversities of nature, just in the hope to nurture a flawless product, though its not sure of what might be the outcome. We see hope in every oyster shell out there- the hope to find a sublime pearl. Similarly we can see hope in even in the most trivial things, like a piece of paper or speck of dust. Its said: It (Hope) is the only thing stronger than fear. All you need is the eye to find it and truly believe in it.
Design Strategy:
I have used both- a subjective and objective approach to the creation of my installation. Subjectively, every unit is composed of 7 layers of acrylic sheet, all arranged in parallel, for a single cohesive image. Whereas objectively, the images are divided on a grid layout and on every acrylic layer, one area of the grid is worked upon by paper cuttings. This detail breaks the image into various components, adding depth to it. Paper cuttings were chosen to represent the coarse, blemished exterior of the oyster shell, in relation of my work with the concept model.
