Description
‘Witness’ by Nadia Rausa
Artist: Nadia Rausa
Title: ‘Witness’
Medium: Watercolour, colored pencil, charcoal, and gold ink on 300gsm watercolour paper
Dimensions: 6″ x 4″
Framing: Unframed
Year of Creation: 2024
About the artwork:
‘Will you witness them, us, me… you? If the fires one day reach your skin, I pray that others will witness you as more than just a body count.’ This piece was a second attempt at one I had tried to create for a previous WOW x WOW show. I was so hard on the paper of the first attempt that the surface eventually gave way, the paper pilling and peeling, and I couldn’t help but feel defeated by some wood pulp and pigment (granted, those are powerful elements). But it wasn’t defeat—my second try, the one you see now, speaks volumes louder than my initial attempt. Within this piece, ‘Witness,’ I hope the humanity, tears, and stories of many can speak so loudly that we cannot forget them. May we witness, rather than turn away. – Nadia Rausa
About the Artist:
Nadia Rausa is a half-Korean artist and author living in Alaska. Her work has been described as haunting and ethereal, something she wholeheartedly embraces during her creative process. From ghostly or apathetic figures to creatures overtaken by nature, Nadia’s work focuses on intertwining the reality and liminality of life and death. She has been included in various gallery shows and publications since 2017 and has released seven self-published works as of 2023. Nadia is also the co-founder and creative director of One to a Thousand, an inclusive community and small press. Outside of creating, she feels like an exhausted ghost, but enjoys being in nature, gaming, reading, and spending time with her partner and their sassy tabby cat named Tabby. Nadia hopes to open a gallery one day, and aspires to utilize her love of curation to uplift fellow creatives.