About Piece:

TITLE: Francia Marquez - Colombia's First Afro Vice President

MATERIALS: Fine Art Print from original oil painting on canvas. Print size 16" x 20"

DESCRIPTION:
"I have a dream that one day our children won't be murdered for picking sugarcane."

In August of 2020, five teenage youth from an impoverished Llano Verde neighborhood in Cali Colombia, left their homes in the morning and when they didn't return, their mother's started to worry.

"The boys were found (in a sugarcane field) tortured, burned, with machete and bullet wounds," said Erlendy Cuero, a social leader from Cali, Colombia's third-largest city.
Political activist Francia Marquez, reminded of her own two boys and the violence ethnic minority communities experience, decided to run for president. After numerous death threats and racial attacks, Francia took a step back and was selected to be the vice-presidential candidate of Gustavo Petro.

From May 26 through May 31, 2022, I traveled to Cali and Buenaventura Colombia with -AfroResistance, and Grassroots Global Justice Alliance-to observe Colombia's primary elections. Our goal was to protect the rights of Black women in particular, ensure dignified spaces, and defend democracy and human rights expressed through the ability to freely cast votes without fear of violence, intimidation or retaliation. I was deeply moved by all my Colombian people who got out the vote and had their voices heard, even if it meant taking a boat ride (6 hours away) just to get to their designated polling stations.

This Artwork is a tribute to Francia Marquez and her vision of Colombia where "Equity and Equality" reign through democracy. Where people cast their votes and put into power those dedicated to the principles of "People over Profits".

About Artist:

Andrea, a Colombian artist hailing from BogotÃÆ'Ã'¡ and currently honing her craft in Central Florida, produces art characterized by a vibrant fusion of realism and illustration. Her work encapsulates the diverse spirit of her heritage, infusing it with the serenity of everyday beauty reimagined on canvas. The paintings she creates resonate with the dynamic rhythms of both Colombia and America. Her art has received prestigious accolades, but her true achievement lies in her ability to employ oils and acrylics to elevate the ordinary to the extraordinary. Each brushstroke she applies nurtures the richness of her culture and intertwines it with the essence of her craft, forging a harmonious blend of diversity, one palette at a time.

@andrearomerofineart / www.andrearomerofineart.com