What Next, to Shoulder?
Last week, I had the opportunity to see Krista Tippett speak at The Hive in Philadelphia. Her presence felt almost like a manifestation of her insightful work on On Being. Drawing inspiration from Rilke, Krista encouraged both her physical and virtual audiences to “live the questions now.” What could be a more fitting reflection to end one year—and an invitation to embrace the unknown of the next—than by questioning?
Days earlier, I found myself amidst the vibrant expressions of The Time Is Always Now, an exhibition which focuses on contemporary Black life. I am still especially contemplating a work by British artist Kimathi Donkor, titled Harriet Tubman en route to Canada.1
The painting’s primary figure, with her punctuating gesture, emerges as a central force, balancing her qualities and extending a discourse within the landscape. Her bearing orders the assemblage, demanding that we attend not simply to the semblance of her form but also to traverse from concrete bearing to the more intricate articulations of behavior and method.
In the space this work creates, I find myself compelled to reflect: What endures to withstand challenge? What arises to bring equilibrium? What lies ahead as our burden to carry? How do we lean into the weight of that burden?
Donkor, Kimathi. Harriet Tubman en route to Canada. 2012, oil on canvas.
What an Awesome opportunity to attend these events and take part in such Amazing displays of Art. The painting by Kimathi of Harriet Tubman on yet another dangerous trek, is Beautiful and Haunting. Thank you again for sharing your experiences with us.