Weather the Storm This series of paintings explores themes of empowerment, gender, environment, and community. Weather the Storm is a series of paintings based on two performance art actions about climate change, Floating/Drowning (Miami Beach and Biscayne Bay, December 2016) and Change Is Coming (Anacostia River, DC, September 2017). The performances and paintings draw on a Bengali song, “Kharobayu Boye Bege (Storm Winds Are Blowing)” (R. Tagore, 1927) , which I have I been singing in my performances. The song is about working together to row a boat to shore during a storm, an analogy to rising up against imperialism. I replaced the word “boatman” with “woman” to create a feminist anthem of climate resilience: “O woman take the oars and row.” Lines from the song appear in the paintings. In the series, I depict women working together outdoors, engaged in some sort of effort or action. I choose to show women as active empowered subjects, not passive objects.

“The Storm Winds Are Blowing,” acrylic on canvas, 36 × 51 inches, 2018.

“Clouds Canopy the Sky,” acrylic on canvas, 36 × 51 inches, 2018.

“O Woman Take the Oars and Row,” acrylic and spray paint on canvas, 36 × 51 inches, 2018.

“Take the Oars and Row (Bailing),” acrylic on canvas, 30 × 42 inches, 2018.

“You Pull the Ropes,” acrylic and spray paint on canvas, 30 × 42 inches, 2018.

“I’ll Hoist the Sail,” Acrylic, woodblock, and spray paint on canvas, 30 × 42 inches, 2018, Weather the Story series.

“Sing the Song of Victory,” acrylic and spray paint on canvas, 30 × 42 inches, 2018.

This article first appeared in Geez magazine Issue 66, Fall 2022, Global Resistance and Solidarity.