{19-1392} Mandy Lei service project

safeguarding women’s healthcare.

Medusa:
In Greek Mythology, Medusa is painted as a monster that turns men into stone. Yet deeply misunderstood is the sexual assault written in her origin story and protection her snakes offer. In the design, I chose the allusion to Medusa’s story as a metaphor for the villanization and criminalization of a woman’s decision to get an abortion. Societal values and expectations force women to carry the enormous weight of guilt. But I’m a firm believer that we should remove this stigma of shaming women for making a decision relative to their lives. Everyone deserves kindness, love, and respect, even if their decisions don’t align with another’s beliefs.


Lady Justice:
The crown and scale of Lady Justice are sympathetic to the injustices imposed upon a woman’s autonomy over her physical and mental health due to the lack of safe medical resources. The paradox of the issue lies within the personal freedom protection offered by the 14th Amendment and the lack of “right to privacy” for women when it comes to reproductive health care. Additionally, extreme policies regarding abortion access does not accurately represent voters interests in red or blue states. And beyond our flawed legislative system, the symbols of Lady Justice also unveils the gray area between the planes of justice and morality.

19-1392:
19-1392 is the doc number assigned to the underlying case: Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, whcih was filed 3/19/2018 regarding the constitutionality of a Mississippi law that banned abortions after 15 weeks of preganacy. 

Inspo:
Passionate about the sociological crossroads of policy and society, I am always eager to learn about the relations between historical relevance and current events. And as a young women in America today, abortion legislations directly impacts my body, my mental health, and the trajectary of my life. Growing up in a conservative family, I am always forced to wrestle with the morality behind the weight of such decisions. Therefore, the purpose of this art piece is not only a method of advocating for my rights, but also a bridge between the gaps of my parents’ and I’s worldviews.

As a young women in America today, abortion legislations directly impacts my body, my mental health, and the trajectary of my life. And growing up in a conservative family, I am always forced to wrestle with the morality behind the weight of such decisions. Therefore, the purpose of this art piece not only advocates for my rights, but also bridges the gap between my parents’ and my worldviews.

Growing up in the metropolis of Shanghai, China and making the odyssey to Cleveland, and then again to the Rocky Mountains, Mandy’s entire life is governed by movement and the excitement that accompanies exploration of the new. Taking art lessons since the age of 7, her art mainly revolved around traditional styles and mediums of acrylics and pencil. Driven by her personal identity as an Asian American and her involvement within the outdoor community, Mandy’s artistic style has evolved to integrate issues of racial and enviornmental justice. She is also experimenting with new mediums and styles such as: textiles, pointillism, ink, and now print-making at the Project Shop. Recently graduated from Colorado Rocky Mountain School, Mandy is taking a Gap Year to travel, before attending Pitzer College, where she is excited to participate in Claremont’s local art clubs and to explore Pitzer’s muralistic art scene.

Holding myself accountable to give the project an informed foundation, I dedicated time to researching abortion rights and interviewed Rebecca Binion, director of the Planned Parenthood in Glenwood Springs. I distilled the web of information into one precise message: access to abortion is about providing safe health care for women, which should be an issue between a woman and her doctor.

Finally, I went back to the drawing board, drifting into my imaginative space and away from the logos and overthinking. Through the act of losing myself in creativity, I was able to weave meaningful elements into the design (which you can read more about at TheProjectShop.org). And, most importantly, I was able to see my designs come to life on sweatshirts, totes, tees and posters. The experience of carefully printing each piece of cloth, and knowing that 100% of my dedication to the project will be donated to Planned Parenthood, is truly rewarding.