I feel honored that one of my very close to heart large drawing “When She Became a Widow” (38”/60” on canvas paper) has been accepted in the juried, thematic exhibition “Stories from My Childhood” at the Art Museum, Northern Illinois University. The story is as follows…
My father died when I was only ten years old. I remember that day clearly as I was in school, and I was called to the principal’s office before the end of the day, and I saw my sister sitting there on a chair. She got up and in a very sad and quiet tone said, “let us go home”. And I turned towards the principal, and she motioned with her finger, asking me to leave with her. On our way we kept quiet. I did not ask anything, and she did not say any word. The home was not very far. I knew something wrong had happened, but I do not remember if and what was going on in my mind that time. We walked quietly. As we reached near our home, I saw many people downstairs and as we went up the stairs, I saw many women in our courtyard. Crowds of women… I turned around to ask my sister, but she was lost in the crowd. I pushed myself through the crowd towards the center to find what was happening there. I was shocked as I saw my mother sitting on the floor and crying. Other women were consoling her. I was shocked because I had never seen her crying. I started crying. That is all I remember. I cried and complained to my God that day why did He take away my father as I could not bear the pain of my mother.
The exhibition begins Tuesday, November 29 – Saturday, December 17, 2022, and Tuesday, January 10 – Friday, February 17, 2023 following the university’s winter break.
