Jehan Salim

I Am Both

"I Am Both" is a surreal, dream-like painting done in acrylic on canvas. The subjects involved are a female figure in reds surrounded by two animals. A green tiger is in front of the figure, one of its stripes wrapping around the figure’s arm, and behind her is an eagle painted in mostly primary colors. Both animals are facing the viewer while the figure is facing away. This work is inspired by my identity as a Bangladeshi-Filipino woman. It is a personal take on coming to terms with my mixed-race identity despite the fact and the turbulent history of both the Philippines and Bangladesh. The tiger and the eagle, both endangered animals native to those countries, serve as symbolic representations of said identity showing inner strength in accepting who I am as a person.