Sandra DeLozier
Marie Abdo
San Antonio, TX
IG: @sandramarie453

The Girl Who Broke the Rules
2023
For the hard copy version: Book board, metal mosaic, found objects, fritted glass, linen-textured paper, watercolor paper, acrylic paint, pen, coffee stain. For the computer flip-book version: digital images
13″ x 1″ x 13″ (closed)

Artist Statement

With this book art, we tell the story of one Arab woman born during a time of war and religious division, who ultimately learns to break through the societal rules handed down to her. She learns her own strength and is ultimately able to recognize that the “Others” she has been warned about are in reality not so very different. Her inter-religious marriage leads to societal rejection which is only overcome by moving away from her homeland.

The cover art shows our woman, multi-layered and symbolically pieced together by different media (acrylic, metal mosaic, glass) reflecting the perspectives that have left their mark on her and made a unique, individualistic self. Having already broken with many traditional rules such as the division between religions, she stands ready to tell her story; her image speaks for itself and allows the viewer to enter into the bilingual illustrated narrative (Arabic/English) and explore the inner-workings and meaning of the objects, events and beliefs of which she is made.

What is the common denominator that connects this woman and how is her story related to each and every one of us and our lives? Our goal for this work is to help people find the connections and question the attitudes and unwritten rules built into us, our environment and our behavior within it. We hope with our artwork to speak for the Arab community and its glorious diversity and to introduce the human side of this culture into the exhibition conversation.