Rough Sketch of my Inner Hero. Graphite on Paper 2025
It has taken me an incredibly long time to imagine what my inner hero looks like. I had to close my eyes, look within, sit in silence, and take a moment. I’m so used to referencing other images, posts, or stories—but this time, I had to reference myself. That was really hard.
So, I started with research—looking into my favorite flowers, myths, tales, and legends. I also researched women who inspire me, strengthen me, and give me hope.
One of my favorite discoveries was learning the meaning behind my favorite flower, the gladiolus, and about the healing plant Imphepho. I took a few self-portraits and used them as references because I wanted my inner hero to resemble me in some way. I wanted her to resemble my features, my natural hair, my skin tone etc…I imagined her in a warrior stance, holding the healing herb Imphepho, and wearing a shawl adorned with a gladiolus design. Traditional African shawls are deeply meaningful to many African Communities
Traditional African “warrior shawls”—more accurately described as specific tribal garments like for example the Maasai shuka—carry deep cultural significance. They symbolize identity, social status, bravery, protection, and community values.
Protection (Physical and Spiritual): Beyond their practical use for warmth, these shawls are often imbued with spiritual meaning, believed to offer protection against physical harm and evil spirits.
Weaving Cultural Narratives: The patterns, colors, and motifs woven into the fabric tell stories of history, philosophy, ethics, and moral values.
This process was very difficult for me because it’s so easy to focus on the negative things that have happened in my life. But now, I’m choosing to shine a light on the positive. Next, I paint.
