Take care of your self : the art and cultures of care and liberation

Take care of yourself. How many times a week do we hear or say these words? If we all took the time to care for ourselves, how much stronger will we be? More importantly how much stronger will our communities be? In Take Care of Your Self , Iraqi artist and curator Sundus Abdul Hadi turns a critical and inventive eye on the notion of self-care, rejecting the idea that self-care means buying stuff and recasting it as a collective practice rooted in the liberation struggles of the oppressed. Throughout, Abdul Hadi explores the role of art in fostering healing for those affected by racism, war, and displacement, weaving in the artwork of twenty-seven artists of color from diverse backgrounds to identify the points where these struggles intersect. In centering the voices of those often relegated to the margins of the art world and emphasizing the imperative to create safe spaces for artists of color to explore their complicated reactions to oppression, Abdul Hadi casts self-care as a political act rooted in the impulse toward self-determination, empowerment, and healing that animates the work of artists of color across the world. "In this book, Iraqi-Canadian artist and curator Sundus Abdul Hadi turns a critical and inventive eye to the notion of care and how it relates to struggle. In contrast to the capitalist phenomenon of self-care, Abdul Hadi chooses to locate care as a necessary practice rooted in self, community and the world, as a tool in decolonizing, empowerment and liberation. To illustrate these ideas, Abdul Hadi explores the role of the artist in reflecting on trauma and systemic oppression, weaving in the artwork of artists from diverse backgrounds whose works intersect with notions of struggle and care. Using care as an approach, Abdul Hadi centers the voices of those often relegated to the margins of the (art) world, by emphasizing the importance of creating safe spaces for their stories and art. The potential for the transformative power of care exists in these spaces, offering counter-narratives to the mainstream, and perhaps even sparking systemic change"--Provided by publisher Artist Sundus Abdul Hadi's Reflections On Self-care As A Community Act Depicts Care As Crucial To Creating A Just Society.