(RNS) New York artist Mary Mihelic created 53 artworks inspired by the 53 schoolgirls who escaped Boko Haram terrorists in Nigeria when they tried to kidnap the girls. Boko Haram is a Muslim militant group whose name means “Western education is a sin.”
These artworks reflect on war, religious freedom, education for women and global feminism. Some incorporate text and are meant to resemble a book, symbolizing Western education. Others include imagery of the terrorists, churches burning, schoolgirls hiding in the bush and shoe tread marks. All are on paper, symbolizing books and education.
View more of the “Running Girl” series here.
Please click on any image below to view a slideshow of Mihelic’s artwork, inspired by the 53 schoolgirls who escaped Boko Haram terrorists. All photos courtesy of Mary Mihelic
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- The leader of Boko Haram said that all the kidnapped schoolgirls had been married off and converted to Islam. This piece is about those forced marriages. A silk ribbon is a bookmark down the middle of the page symbolizing books and learning. Photo courtesy of Mary Mihelic.
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- The president of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Ayo Oritsejafor, said: “Nigeria was a boat built by God that could never sink.” Photo courtesy of Mary Mihelic.
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- The Red Cross worked to negotiate the girls’ release. The word “serpents” recalls that two of the girls died from snakebites. And the Arabic letter “N” for Nazarene was spray-painted by Islamic militants on the doors of Christians’ homes in Syria and Iraq. Photo courtesy of Mary Mihelic.
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- In September, Boko Haram released one of the schoolgirls. The 20-year-old wandered in the bush for four days before she was found in a village, hospitalized and reunited with her family. The word “help” is a reference to religion and hell. Photo courtesy of Mary Mihelic.
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- This “Running Girl” is fleeing Boko Haram. The “N” refers to the letter spray-painted on the doors in Syria and Iraq, which stands for “Nazarene” or “Christian” in Arabic. The word “heaven” on the girl’s leg refers to Christianity, heaven and hell. Photo courtesy of Mary Mihelic.
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- The word “serpents” refers to reports that two of the schoolgirls died from snakebites. It alludes to the biblical representation of Satan as a serpent. Photo courtesy of Mary Mihelic.
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- This artwork incorporates running shoe tread marks. Photo courtesy of Mary Mihelic.
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- This piece was created 106 days after the kidnapping, when reports surfaced that Boko Haram was using some of the girls as suicide bombers. The text in this image alludes to the biblical phrase “I am.” The veil alludes to reports that Boko Haram forced the girls to convert to Islam. Photo courtesy of Mary Mihelic.
