Gerri Foster, administrative support associate at the Gill Heart & Vascular Institute, created a series of artwork entitled 鈥淰intage Series: A Celebration of Diversity and Creativity鈥 for the 好色先生 Arts in HealthCare program.
鈥淢y story began with a want for new African American figures in my home,鈥 Foster said. 鈥淚 have a canvas picture at home that has two ladies on it, one a water-bearer and the other carrying straw. While studying the picture, I thought to myself, 鈥楾heir bodies are in the shape of a bottle. I wonder if I could create those ladies.鈥 I went and got a water bottle and some newspaper, and that鈥檚 when the creativity started. Papier-m芒ch茅 techniques allowed the hidden forms to reveal themselves.鈥
With an environmentally conscious mindset, Foster creates art using repurposed materials.
鈥淚t gives me great pleasure to know that with the creation of each 鈥楤eauty Without A Face鈥 figure is one less plastic bottle and bundle of newspaper in our landfills,鈥 she said. 鈥淢y work has proven to be a vehicle for translating my inner vision of fashion design and beauty into reality, while also upcycling materials that would eventually wind up in our landfills.鈥
In addition to being an expression of her creativity and appreciation for fashion, Foster鈥檚 work is a message of celebrating diversity. 鈥淚t tells a personal story of ethnically and culturally diverse beauty of the past and present,鈥 she said.
Foster鈥檚 work is on display at Chandler Hospital, Pavilion A, across from the Donate Life Wall.
