Your God is my God

This was my first major piece and I still love it.  It took 1000 hours to make (9 months) and is heavily hand-worked with embroidery, beadwork, and appliqué.  Unfortunately, these photos don't do it justice.  There are beautiful sari borders, lace and ribbons incorporated into the body. 

I made it for my friend, Abdul, who was my partner in our Chicago gallery, Dara Tribal Village.  The idea is based on the book of Ruth in the Bible, whose husband dies and she decides to follow her mother-in-law to a land unknown to her which also had a different religion.  The text says that "Where you will go I will follow, your people will be my people, your God will be my God."  To me, this invites me towards respect of other people and cultures.  God did not abandon Ruth, instead he blessed her as we are blessed when we walk with those different than ourselves.

The script at the top says, "God Save Us All" in Pashto (Abdul's choosing).  The panels represent four drives in him: work, nature, family and spirit.

Panel details:

Front and Back