Where Artwork is Translated into Poetry

The Story (and the poem) Behind the Piece

My art work ‘Relentless’ was chosen to be featured at the art show Reframed: An Exhibition of Art Beyond Barriers curated by Liberty Pierson and Espy Marie of The Little Art Show Vallejo, at the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum.

The show’s duration was from November 8 to November 23 of this year and I was also given the opportunity to share the story and inspiration behind my art piece on November 14th during the Reception and Artist Talk.

My piece was inspired by the theme itself ‘Reframed; Art Beyond Barriers’, and I immediately envisioned black and white patterns and zentangles with vibrant patches and shapes of color. Representing structure, order, repetition, and control- our limitations, expectations of us and boundaries- the barriers, are the zentangles in black and white; in contrast, the colors reflect emotional release, movement, transformation, and growth. They represent mindfully letting go of things we cannot control, and the witnessing of our life while it unravels and opens up to authenticity and beautiful possibilities.

I find it unfortunate that I was unable to share the personal story behind it due to time constraints during the talk, but I would like to share it here, with you, on Substack.

At the very young age of 18, I got pregnant and married my first love at the age of 19. I chose to marry, because I was told that it was the respectable thing to do- as a teenage mother, because teenagers do not know what is best for them and so they must listen and obey. I was too young to know better and thus these were my beliefs- beliefs that were molded in a Filipino and Christian household and community. Years passed, and I matured and came to the realization that life may have happened, but I have a choice. I was able to forgive and accept flaws that has made married life quite challenging- until the promises of faithfulness were broken- I decided I had to end my marriage.

In our culture and religion, women are expected to be compliant and uphold the marriage- despite being treated poorly, when respect and dignity were not reciprocated. The man’s ego is gilded that a woman’s worth and self-respect were expected to bend or break to protect it. These norms were not serving my well-being and so I mustered up the courage to save my sanity and file for annulment. I was shamed for not being forgiving, and for failing my marriage- for breaking up our family of three. Growing into my own person, I shaped my own beliefs and principles. I felt the need to stand my ground in spite of cultural norms for self-preservation- it may sound selfish, but for how else was I going to be mentally and physically capable to be a mother to my son? This was me relentlessly peeling back my layers of black and white, and honoring my true colors and authenticity- I learned that I was not one to conform to society’s standards.

My piece Relentless shows how messy and chaotic life changes can be, but at the same time, how rewarding these changes are. I rebelled against old structures, grew beyond barriers of societal norms and opened myself up to intuition and growth. My artwork shows that life is not perfect and was not meant to be. We are born to bruise, we learn through our mistakes, all our choices have their consequences and we learn to appreciate progress and embrace the paradoxes and the dichotomy of life. There is no black and white; life is meant to be colorful- full of ups and downs, failure and progress in finding our direction and creating our paths- we are meant to evolve and adapt to the inevitable changes unfurling around us- to reframe our lives, even when that means going beyond barriers.

To deepen this reflection, below is the ekphrastic poem I wrote for my piece that I also shared during the artist talk:

Dear M

When they tell you

You are broken

By all means be heard be seen

Immerse your frailty in kaleidoscope oceans

Swim the iciest depths- pirouette

Heart open Persistent beyond reason

When they tell you

You are broken

Immerse your frailty in kaleidoscope oceans

Peel back your layers of black and white

Heart open persistent beyond reason

Beating through splintered bones

When they tell you

You are broken

Peel back your layers of black and white

Pivot. Disrupt corroded patterns

Beating through splintered bones

All that heart. All that grit.

When they tell you

You are broken

Pivot. Disrupt corroded patterns

Twist. Rebel against the current

All that heart. All that grit

Show them teeth. Show them fists.

When they tell you

You are broken

By all means be heard be seen

Have your center expand into unchartered spaces

Swim the iciest depths- pirouette

Declare your presence, surge if you must.

When they tell you

You are broken

Have your center expand into unchartered spaces

Step into your essence- bloom

Declare your presence, surge if you must

Show them scars show them blood

Dear M

When they tell you you are broken

Cry, scream

Howl if you must

My ink-hearted soul

what frightens you

so much?

Anna Quismorio

Relentless, 2025

May your day be gentle and kind,

Anna