NEW STUDENT IN A BURKA: INVITATION INTO THE UNKNOWN

NEW STUDENT IN A BURKA. In the fall of 2011, for the first time here at the Georgia Tech Language Institute where I teach English, I noticed a student wearing a burka. For several years now, I have been observing the women in hijabs from Turkey, Saudia Abrabia, Jordan, and Libya, intrigued by the fabrics and myriad of designs as well as by the various ways that the women adjust their scarves around their temples, ears, and neck. In my art, I have allowed these women in hijabs to become symbols of what I do not understand--in other words--the GREAT MYSTERY! I am curious about this new student who has chosen to wear her burka to our international classrooms. Perhaps, it is the way her eyes glance out at all of us--seeing us in full form--as she moves down the hallway, a bit hidden and obscured. I hope in the coming weeks, I might get to know her. (art by Hallelujah Truth)

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