Title: I give you my heart but you still cold
Year: 2022
Size: 40,5 x 50,5mm
Technique: Mixed media on paper

A femme body sits in the frame of a colourful clay pot, expressing slight discontent and discomfort. It is surrounded in colourful foliage. Permaculture is a kind of farming in which both the farmer and plants benefit creating a mutually beneficial relationship. This black figure however struggles to find contentment in an ecosys-tem that was not created for her to flourish. This is a social commentary on black bodies navigating todays society. The clay pot has often been used in rituals in Afri-can culture; for simple practical use or to carry or store spirits during ritual perfor-mances. The placement of the body also alludes to the vessel of a woman, comparing the pot to a womb and figure to a baby. The markings on the pots have different symbolic meanings including fertility, wisdom and good fortune. The markings on the neck of pot makes reference to scarification, a beautification used in West Africa to mark individuals milestones such as marriage or child-birth. Each of these ele-ments are captured in playful colourful techniques reflecting Boemo’s internal world and child-like reflections. The text reads; “I give you my heart but you still cold”, confronting abandonment and shame.