Quincey Strothers

This piece came as an idea based on a real-life event. I say real life because things like this happen to people who do not deserve it and cannot live their life how they want to. This means a lot to me because, once upon a time, I could not live my authentic life how I wanted to because I feared how people would see me and talk about me. But no matter what anyone thought, I did what I wanted to be true to myself. I want the people viewing my art to know it's ok to be you, no matter what anyone says.

The story behind this piece begins with an arranged marriage where the wife is miserable (queen). So, the queen sought to find someone who made her happy. She sought true love and found a lovely woman named Ianna, a humble peasant. Even though their wealth classes were so different, they only had one thing that truly mattered: their love for each other. So, one faithful day, the king insisted on finding a new royal entertainer who gave Ianna a chance to get closer to queen Keionna. With Ianna's talent in dance, she sought out to the temple to try out for the position without telling Keionna her plans. Upon entering the temple queen, Keionna was surprised to see Ianna in the temple, given their relationship was a secret. Noticing his wife tense up at the sight of Ianna made him wonder if something was happening that he did not know about. After Ianna tries for the position, she stands in the open, awaiting the king to tell her if she received the position. While waiting, the king notices the queen and Ianna taking glances at each other. After noticing their chemistry, the king yells for the guards to take Ianna to her death. Hearing this, Keionna stands and goes against her husband and runs for Ianna, and they both flee from the temple to be free from the king and his miserable ways. Upon fleeing from the king Keionna does the unthinkable, cutting her long thick hair for the one she loves. 

Working on this mural had its ups and downs. I wanted to give up and stay home every day. No matter how often I came in to work on my mural, I had doubts about my work. I had incredibly supportive people around me to fill me up with joy and determination to help me finish my mural. It was a great experience working with everyone and laughing with high spirits. Overall, it was a great experience that I will hold close to my heart for years to come