Black Sheep - Original Painting by Louie Gong
Questions? Please email the artist at info@louiegong.com to arrange a phone call or in person viewing.
Black Sheep, which is currently on display at Samammish City Hall (near Seattle), is about drawing power from past experiences— even traumas. “It’s about self-care,” says artist Louie Gong (Nooksack).
“I’ve been thinking about the term baggage, and it’s all wrong,” says Louie. “When we think about our past experiences as something we can just put down, we can’t actually heal. The real pathway to becoming stronger and more confident versions of ourselves is to learn to live in symbiosis with our past experiences.”
The Black Sheep’s body is composed of Louie’s signature wolf-mouth motif, which he uses here to symbolize negative past experiences. It is painted loosely to indicate the frequent movement of past experiences - from buried memories to debilitating distractions - and the idea that they are living parts of us that we can’t simply set down as if they were “baggage.”
By contrast, the Black Sheep’s face is composed of highly structured Coast Salish design elements to indicate the self-confidence drawn from the understanding that past experiences make us better equipped to manage whatever lies ahead. A few understated sprouts indicate constant growth regardless of what we are experiencing.
Specifications
- Completed in 2021
- Mixed Media (Acrylic, water color, coffee, spray paint) on wood panel
- Protective clear coat
- 24" x 30" x 2"
- Shipping included
- Direct serious inquiries to info@louiegong.com
Thank you for buying direct from the artist!
Archival prints of this original painting, along a large selection of products featuring Louie's art, are available at Eighth Generation.