The White Gaze, 2017
The White Gaze is a work of multiples inspired by the frequent and often-unpleasant encounters that take place during my daily commute. As a Black Muslim Woman residing in Toronto, there are multiple micro-aggressions that I face, mainly by white men who range from middle aged to elderly. In a city like Toronto, so widely diverse, I have come to simply expect these negative interactions, in which I question each experience: is it because I’m Black? Is it because I’m visibly Muslim? Is it because I’m Female? Or, is it because I am all three? For The White Gaze, I took advantage of 30 unpleasant encounters by drawing the individuals who stared at me, over a period of 6 weeks. I also inserted an exaggerated commentary for each image, imagining what might be vocalized along with these persistent stares.