The Slave 1920

Editor: This is Kahlil Gibran's drawing, "The Slave." The figure with bound wrists looks so burdened, almost like he’s carrying the weight of all those figures at his feet. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see Gibran grappling with themes of oppression and the weight of societal expectations. Those figures clinging to him could represent the expectations, the burdens placed upon individuals, particularly marginalized communities. Editor: So, it's more than just physical slavery? Curator: Exactly. It speaks to the multifaceted ways in which people are bound – by social norms, by historical injustices, by internalised limitations. Gibran, as a Lebanese-American artist, was likely influenced by both Eastern and Western philosophical traditions. Editor: It makes you think about who's truly free in this image. Thanks, that gives me a lot to consider. Curator: Indeed. Art like this challenges us to examine our own chains and the chains of others.