Existence and Cormorants

My work is called Existence and Cormorants. It’s a watercolor painting in a realistic style. The image is of a cormorant perched on a brick wall with its wings spread out. I took a lot of care to include lots of little details which is one of my favorite parts of working with watercolor- the ability to create depth out of lots of different layers and colors. While a bit painstaking, it’s quite satisfying to see the image develop. Figuring out how to paint the feathers was a challenge at first but as I moved onto the second one it came more naturally. My inspiration for this piece came from my own personal experience and love for birds, specifically cormorants, as well as the idea that birds can represent freedom and visits from loved ones either deceased or far away. When thinking about my own experience with immigration and the way my father getting deported influenced my childhood and life, this imagery came up for me. Cormorants are birds that have a history of symbolism as a negative symbol, or in Christianity the open wings could represent a cross. I wanted to rework this symbol as one of beauty and strength- the wings open are a powerful stance. I am connecting this to a reworking of ideas regarding immigrants and refugees. A common narrative told is one of invasion, fear and xenophobia embedded in a history of racism, colonization, and expansion. Stories of crossing oceans, journeys and travels are a fundamental part of the refugee experience and the humanization of refugees. I wanted to symbolize this through a bird- which from afar looks dark and perhaps ominous, but in reality contains so much color, details and life.

refugee symbolism bird watercolor