MONIQUE LORDEN
From the heart of New Orleans, Monique breathes life into art and writings that awaken and empower. Her compelling works champion social justice, illuminate the vibrant tapestry of cultural heritage, and resonate with the sacred echoes of her faith in God. Nationally exhibited, Monique’s diverse lexicon from children’s books and poignant poetry to monumental, inflated sculptures that seem to touch the sky and murals that tell stories on city streets ignite conversations, exploring what was, what is, and what will be. Her profound, evocative storytelling through her art and authorship leaves an indelible imprint, captivating communities and art collectors alike.
Let's make our shared ideals a reality. For everyone.
And in my own hands, as they age, I see my experiences: the three-pointer that won the game; the wrapping of my kid’s tiny fingers around my own; the shielding of my mother to protect her; the countless minor acts that make up our daily lives, from shopping to chopping; and the painting and creating of things that haven’t existed yet.
Like our breath, we take them for granted, yet our hands are who we are and how we exist in the world. The power of touch to define our experience of our lives.
And so, in Carry Us Home you see four hands, pointing upwards, fingers to the sky. They are simultaneously lifting and holding us up. They are strong hands, filled with a rich pattern of fingerprints. The lines of a fingerprint are a miraculous piece of art. Though always the same, they seem dynamic – simultaneously continuous, criss-crossing, disjointed, perfect collectives. In them we see our lives and loves, our experiences and ambitions, our ancestors and ourselves: a reflection of what has been and the question of what we will do and be.
For me personally, this design and these hands respond directly to Toni Morrison’s iconic call for healing, reclamation, and Black revival – for it is in and through our hands that we will do so. Our instruments of restoration and creation. And they are universal because that vision can only be collective. Unity can only be collective.
When I see these hands, they unfurl a never-ending tapestry of personal and shared memories and stories that create our collective reality.
And so I offer these universal hands for the theme A More Perfect Union as a call for everyone to pour the best of us – whatever we have – into the shared whole. Whether it is our literal or metaphorical hands, they are an invitation to consider your own: who are you to your core and what will you pour into the world through what you do?
After all – our future is in our hands.
Monique’s “If I Could Tell You Just One Thing…”
Forgiveness. Holding on to things holds us back from truly flourishing. It can be very difficult to do and feel like ‘the wrong thing to do’, especially if you feel you have been unjustly treated. But if there’s anything you’re holding onto, try to release it and let go so that you can walk in your purpose and in your light.
Forgive others, not for them, but for yourself. And I believe that the act of forgiveness is so powerful that it ripples out: as you forgive, you encourage others to forgive. And that makes it possible for us to do the work of justice more collectively.
MONIQUE LORDEN
Carry Us Home
Carry Us
Home
Monique
Lorden
the artist's inspiration
When was the last time you thought about your hands? Probably a long time ago, if ever.
Hands are ubiquitous and unique at the same time: our hands bring to life so much of who we are and how we leave our mark. Through our fingerprints, they literally identify us. How we use them is a central part of how we exist in the world: what we communicate, how we give and take, what we experience and feel, what we carry and how we heal.
I came to think deeply about hands when I one day looked down to my own hands and saw the hands of my mother. The slenderness of her hands and yet the wrinkles of my own experience. They connect me to her and all of my ancestors that came before.
Connection is powerful. Even though I didn’t know them, I can powerfully visualize the hands of my grandparents reaching back to me as a child to pull me forward. I’ve never felt the comfort of their hands and it’s not a real memory, but an imagined one. Yet their hands are so clear as they reach out to me through time and the beauty of connection.
And in my own hands, as they age, I see my experiences: the three-pointer that won the game; the wrapping of my kid’s tiny fingers around my own; the shielding of my mother to protect her; the countless minor acts that make up our daily lives, from shopping to chopping; and the painting and creating of things that haven’t existed yet.
Like our breath, we take them for granted, yet our hands are who we are and how we exist in the world. The power of touch to define our experience of our lives.
CAPITOL PARK, detroit
june 2024
explore the theme
Let's make our shared ideals a reality. For everyone.
MONIQUE LORDEN
From the heart of New Orleans, Monique breathes life into art and writings that awaken and empower. Her compelling works champion social justice, illuminate the vibrant tapestry of cultural heritage, and resonate with the sacred echoes of her faith in God. Nationally exhibited, Monique’s diverse lexicon from children’s books and poignant poetry to monumental, inflated sculptures that seem to touch the sky and murals that tell stories on city streets ignite conversations, exploring what was, what is, and what will be. Her profound, evocative storytelling through her art and authorship leaves an indelible imprint, captivating communities and art collectors alike.
And so, in Carry Us Home you see four hands, pointing upwards, fingers to the sky. They are simultaneously lifting and holding us up. They are strong hands, filled with a rich pattern of fingerprints. The lines of a fingerprint are a miraculous piece of art. Though always the same, they seem dynamic – simultaneously continuous, criss-crossing, disjointed, perfect collectives. In them we see our lives and loves, our experiences and ambitions, our ancestors and ourselves: a reflection of what has been and the question of what we will do and be.
For me personally, this design and these hands respond directly to Toni Morrison’s iconic call for healing, reclamation, and Black revival – for it is in and through our hands that we will do so. Our instruments of restoration and creation. And they are universal because that vision can only be collective. Unity can only be collective.
When I see these hands, they unfurl a never-ending tapestry of personal and shared memories and stories that create our collective reality.
And so I offer these universal hands for the theme A More Perfect Union as a call for everyone to pour the best of us – whatever we have – into the shared whole. Whether it is our literal or metaphorical hands, they are an invitation to consider your own: who are you to your core and what will you pour into the world through what you do?
After all – our future is in our hands.
Monique’s “If I Could Tell You Just One Thing…”
Forgiveness. Holding on to things holds us back from truly flourishing. It can be very difficult to do and feel like ‘the wrong thing to do’, especially if you feel you have been unjustly treated. But if there’s anything you’re holding onto, try to release it and let go so that you can walk in your purpose and in your light.
Forgive others, not for them, but for yourself. And I believe that the act of forgiveness is so powerful that it ripples out: as you forgive, you encourage others to forgive. And that makes it possible for us to do the work of justice more collectively.
explore the theme
THEME
A MORE PERFECT UNION
The United States is a nation built on eternal ideals. A More Perfect Union highlights the many intersectional movements that stand alongside each other in the pursuit to realize these ideals of America for ALL.
For everyone. For you. By all of us. Join us.
For everyone. For you.
By all of us. Join us.
THEME
A MORE PERFECT UNION
The United States is a nation built on eternal ideals. A More Perfect Union highlights the many intersectional movements that stand alongside each other in the pursuit to realize these ideals of America for ALL.
PURPOSE
in our relationship with ourselves.
WORTHINESS
I am worthy of love dignity and respect.
AWARENESS
I know how I see the world and where it comes from.
BELIEF
I believe I have something valuable to offer.
PURPOSE
I know what inspires me and what I want to do.
the artist's inspiration
When was the last time you thought about your hands? Probably a long time ago, if ever.
Hands are ubiquitous and unique at the same time: our hands bring to life so much of who we are and how we leave our mark. Through our fingerprints, they literally identify us. How we use them is a central part of how we exist in the world: what we communicate, how we give and take, what we experience and feel, what we carry and how we heal.
I came to think deeply about hands when I one day looked down to my own hands and saw the hands of my mother. The slenderness of her hands and yet the wrinkles of my own experience. They connect me to her and all of my ancestors that came before.
Connection is powerful. Even though I didn’t know them, I can powerfully visualize the hands of my grandparents reaching back to me as a child to pull me forward. I’ve never felt the comfort of their hands and it’s not a real memory, but an imagined one. Yet their hands are so clear as they reach out to me through time and the beauty of connection.