Inspired by my research of varied voices to grow my quote collection Listen To Our Stories explores the vision of inclusive conversations. With these compositions I envision us coming together to share our unique perspectives. Listen to Our Stories imagines us facing each other to attentively listen with curiosity, empathy, and openness. We are interested in and present for each other with a deep desire for learning and connection. Everyone shares. Everyone listens. Everyone is valued.
Made with ink, acrylic, various mediums and paper on canvas, I build up subtle reliefs in the shape of a variety of silhouetted profiles inspired by the ancient relief carvings and rich color palettes of my Egyptian heritage. While each canvas represents an individual, the composition focuses on shape, color, texture and the relationship between canvases to emphasize the qualities of listening.
I care about who you are, who you have been, who you want to be. I open myself to you to listen and learn about you. I cherish you, not just my fantasy of who you are, not just who I need you to be, but who you really are... ~Betty Berzon
The single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story. ~Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
People start to heal the moment they feel heard. ~Cheryl Richardson
Listen, or your tongue will keep you deaf. ~Native American Proverb
Listening looks easy, but it's not simple. Every head is a world. ~Cuban Proverb
Look at what scares you in the face, and try to understand it. Empathy, I have learned, is revolutionary. ~Jane Fonda
I learned so much from listening to people. And all I knew was, the only thing I had was honesty and openness. ~Audre Lorde
You know, I have come to think listening is love, that's what it really is. ~Brenda Ueland
© Soad Kader
