BOOKENDS

In Bookends, I delve into the turbulent realm of contemporary book banning—an unsettling trend that persists today. Libraries, once a haven for free thought and diverse voices, are now under siege from factions that seek to stifle and censor. It’s alarming to witness stories of librarians facing arrest for resisting authoritarian dictates or politicians igniting bonfires of books to fuel their campaigns. The reality feels jarringly dystopian as if we have slipped back into an era we thought we’d long left behind. Bookends reflects this unnerving trend and stands as a stark warning. Imagine a future devoid of books, where libraries shutter, and the pages that once held the wealth of human experience lie blank. Each piece features meticulously curated books whose pages have been purposefully dismantled and edged abruptly, much like the lives of the stories they once told. The torn pages leave behind broad margins, becoming a canvas for new layers of ink to seep in, embodying both the destruction wrought by censorship and a flicker of hope for new narratives. My work aims to challenge perceptions, prompting viewers to consider the broader implications of censorship and the fragility of artistic and literary expression. Through Bookends, I invite a dialogue on the sanctity of intellectual freedom and the enduring resilience of the human spirit in the face of suppression.