Sarah Bentley Art

White doves, traditionally seen as a symbol of peace, swirl around a graceful figure skater in roller blades. Our figure moves through space, swirling around tear gas, in front of lines of armored police officers standing in shadow. This work was inspired by the Black Lives Matter protests in DC, and by @the.skate.kid, Kaitlyn Saunders, as she skated across the new Black Lives Matter plaza. We have watched again and again, police inciting violence and attacking peaceful protesters, using excessive force. This painting is to capture the grace, the beauty and harmony of all protesters, striving for peace regardless of faceless and systemic brutality.