Wide Wide Scissors

100 x 80

Acrylic on canvas

2022

The rich who own yachts and palaces and get richer and richer versus the poor who live with the bare minimum and get poorer and poorer... and between them, a giant, ever-widening pair of scissors.

Our system is designed in such a way that the poorest half of the global population owns just 2% of the world’s wealth, while the richest 10% control a staggering 76%.* Even in times of crisis—such as the COVID-19 pandemic—the system resets itself to ensure that the wealthy continue to amass even greater fortunes, while the poor are left to suffer, struggle, and die prematurely. The calls of international organizations, non-profits, and humanitarian groups fall on deaf ears. This inequality is not accidental—it is a form of economic violence, perpetuated by governments through policies that serve only the richest and most powerful.

The only way to stop the concentration of wealth and power in the hands of the few is through radical change: significantly higher taxation on the wealthy, the dismantling of racist neo-imperialism and sexist patriarchy, and the introduction of unconditional income for all—ensuring that every person has the right to a dignified life.

Because the giant scissors continue to open wider. And now, we are left with only two choices—either we fight to close them, or they will snap open completely.

The work is part of the “Let's Start A Revolution” series.

* World Inequality Report 2022