I had to tried to use this background in another piece, but it didn’t work, hence decided that the best way to get the effects that I am seeking is to paint the patterns on to the canvas. I have realized that building the set gives me new ideas and inspiration as opposed to just creating it in photoshop. We created stencils of World War 2 war planes and painted them on the background. The rip in the cloth is the cut canvas and wanted to symbolize the violence of war that cannot be forgotten. The floor is symbolic of history. The inspiration for this piece came from a story that my cousin told me about the stick that she is holding. I have been using it slowly in other pieces because it was a fascinating daily object for me. In the Ethiopian Orthodox church, you received the sermon standing, for long hours. Hence, for the elderly they have these sticks called “Makomia”. They are often made of wood but sometimes you will see priests carrying them with silver or copper tips. The story goes, he mentioned to me that if the priests come together collectively and pray with the stick turned upside down for seven days, their will would manifest. Hence, the motivation for this piece is to express the role of faith and war in society and also within ourselves. For the believers, you will often hear in passing conversation that it is only the prayers of the few that is protecting the nation.