Sylvia Maier
Syvlia Maier
Hawa Bah (mother of Mohammed Bah), 2016
Oil on aluminum
48" x 36"
Sylvia Maier
Sybrina Fulton (mother of Trayvon Martin), 2016
Oil on aluminum
48" x 36"
Sylvia Maier
Hawa Bah, mother of Mohammed Bah, 2016
oil on aluminum
48 x 48 in.
Sylvia Maier
Sybrina Fulton, mother of Trayvon Martin, 2016
oil on aluminum
48 x 48 in.
Sylvia Maier
Constance Malcom, mother of Ramarley Graham, 2016
oil on aluminum
48 x 48 in.
Sylvia Maier
Iris Baez, mother of Anthony Baez, 2016
oil on aluminum
48 x 48 in.
Sylvia Maier
Katadioua Diallo, 2016
oil on aluminum
48 x 48 in.
The Circle of Mothers paintings grew out of work done by Sylvia Maier in 1999 in response to the killing of Amadou Diallo, the son of Kadiatou Diallo,. Thereafter, Maier has continued an interest in painting the mothers of young men killed by police violence. Between 2016 and 2017, she reached out to Kadiatou Diallo and Sybrina Fulton, mother of Trayvon Martin, who both sat for portraits. They also introduced Sylvia to the Circle of Mothers - a support group for mothers whose sons were victims of police violence. Maier convened a series of meetings for the group accompanied by a video project. She also completed individual portraits of each member: Sybrina Fulton (mother of Trayvon Martin); Kadiatou Diallo (mother of Amadou Diallo); Iris Baez (mother of Anthony Baez), Hawa Bah (mother of Mohammed Bah); Valerie Bell (mother of Sean Bell); and Constance Graham (mother of Ramarley Graham).
Maier says of the project, “The [Circle of Mothers] work is intended to speak to both the past and present. The intention was to represent the victims (both mothers and sons) as purely human beings - distinct from the ways they have been depicted in the media. The sons were children on the honor roll, learning a trade, preparing to marry and surpassing life’s milestone with optimism for the future. They were adoring sons to their mothers. They were our children, our community. The aim of this work is to promote healing and change attitudes.”
