Underneath the Westway

I have written a poem to raise local awareness about the threat of air pollution, particularly because we live so close to the flyover.

When I read the statistics, as a pregnant woman, it made me think about how my child will have to inhale this air, and then about Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah‘s tragic death from air pollution.

My poem informed my painting. The silhouette of the woman could be any woman and she represents protection, nature and future generations.

She’s standing underneath the flyover in where I call ‘Paradise Park’ because of the luscious and tropical palms.

I’ve depicted the buildings nearby eg Westway Trust. My painting shows the poisonous air from the flyover silently seeping into nature and trying to intercept the mother’s air bubble. But the glow around her also represents the protective force of her community.

This piece is also a tribute to the resilience and strength of this community, and how this acts as safety net for everyone in it, because I know that whatever threat comes our way, once people are aware, they will take action and this reassures me for our children’s futures.

I’ve used mixed media - layers of acrylic paint, chalk, wax crayon, marker pen and gold leaf.