In the series “Red, White, and Blue for Who?” Natacha Thys, a queer, Haitian-American artist, and human rights lawyer, uses the U.S. Flag to explore the collapse and rebirth of America after the 2016 presidential election. This new and compelling work emerged as her way of grappling with a deep sense of loss and hopelessness. Thys stays true to abstraction, with nods to her signature painting style, but introduces conceptual and mixed media elements. Her work is intentionally literal in the current America where she believes truth is elusive.

The centerpiece of this series is “Papa Legba Says Here’s Your Wall” featured in the Washington Post’s review. It is not only a rebuke of current U.S. immigration policies, but underscores Haiti’s critical assistance to the United States during the American Revolution. A fact expressed through the literal imposition of the Haitian crest onto the U.S. flag. The relationship between Haiti and the U.S. has always been fraught with complexities of imperialism that continue for Haitian immigrants in the U.S. Thys as a first-generation, U.S.-born Haitian-American grapples with these many issues through this powerful mixed media work.