“Garden of Tranquility, Harmony, and Connections”
Tashin Rodoshi is a Bangladeshi Canadian immigrant living on Turtle Island. She has spent years using art as a tool to heal her trauma, and shared her gender-based violence (GBV) expertise to empower communities to support survivors of violence. By combining her desire to uplift communities and address the root cause to establish systemic change, she uses her art to disrupt prevailing societal norms that perpetuate inequality, sexism, racism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, and other forms of discrimination.
In a world free of violence, I invite viewers to step into the “Garden of Tranquility, Harmony, and Connections”—a realm where individuals thrive in their diverse pursuits, embodying passion, creativity, and resilience. This painting is created to display the power of community, social justice, and intergenerational healing.
Each figure in the artwork represents individual passions, and the collective spirit of uplifting one another. From the joyful act of singing to the competitive thrill of basketball, the freedom found in dancing, the solitude in reading, and the nurturing hands in gardening flower bouquets, these simple moments illustrate a community in which women feel safe to freely create, thrive, and connect with each other.
The colors are intentionally vibrant with a bright yellow light shining from the center of the tree, it is placed to reflect the positive energy that comes from collaboration, mutual respect, and interconnectivity. Across the painting, each figure has their own unique intersectionality that comprises their own story, passions, and the fluidity of their movement convey a sense of liberation that overlaps with one another. It evokes the idea that our liberation and freedom are interconnected, and when one person can express themselves, it creates ripple effects for others to demand an equitable society.
Through vibrant colors and dynamic forms, this work invites viewers to imagine a collective future where unity, creativity, and the power of community is an integral part of our every activity. The art piece is an ode to resilience and a call for transformation, reminding us how we can strengthen our connections to protect each other, and envision a world that allows all women to be free to create, move, and thrive safely.